Girl Meets Alone and Broken
by OfficialHeroesOfOlympus
Summary: Riley is tired of being ignored, all because of Maya. She's tired of her family, her friends and her crush paying more attention to her best friend. She finally has enough and releases all her insecurities and problems to her Uncle's Friend, a boy a year older than her and known as the resident 'bad boy' in her school. (Or where Riley is broken and the bad boy patches her back)
1. Chapter 1

_**(Official)HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyyy ya'll! HeroesOfOlympus here. so, if you go onto , you would know that I write Percy Jackson fanfics. I joined recently as there are more fanfics I want to write which isn't about Percy Jackson. So... without further ado, here's the first chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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Riley looked at everyone in the room. They were all happily chattering, oblivious to the fact that a certain Brunette was not having a good time. Her eyes flickered to where her parents were standing, beaming and praising Maya.

They were all here for Maya. Lately, Riley felt that everything was about Maya. Oh look, this would look great on Maya! Wow, Maya is so talented! Maya this, Maya that and Riley hated herself for feeling so jealous of her best friend. But she had the right to be, didn't she? Maya had taken her parents, her crush and even her little brother looked up to Maya instead of her now.

With tears beginning to form in her eyes, Riley quickly but quietly made her way to her bedroom, not before taking a final glance at her classmates who were all here to celebrate Maya getting one of her art pieces up in a prestigious art gallery. She saw Maya talking to Lucas, her crush, before Maya leaned in and placed her lips against Lucas's ones. As everyone wolf whistled and cheered, they failed to notice Riley at her bedroom door with tears streaming down her face.

Slamming the door behind her, Riley's back slid down her door, sobs shaking her body. A wail of sadness and loneliness escaped her mouth before she started sobbing, curling up into a ball. Hugging her knees to her chest, she buried her head in between her thighs. She thought about how everyone was here for Maya, to support her, to love her, to care for her. Why should Maya receive more attention from others when the only bad thing that happened in her life was her dad leaving her? Riley had suffered worse. For starters, everyone around her, everyone she knew, loved Maya more than... Well, her.

She sniffled, rubbing her nose and shakily stood up. She walked over to her bed where her phone was and she picked it up. Unlocking her phone, she then scrolled through her contacts until she found the name she was looking for. Gulping, with tears blurring her vision, she tapped on the name and she placed her phone to her ear.

"Hey Uncle Josh, do you think I could stay over at your dorm tonight?" She croaked, tears rolling down her face.

Without hesitation, her Uncle answered with a simple 'yes'. No explanation, no reason or no shouting. She felt grateful for at least having her uncle in this dark cruel world of hers. She ended the call and without grabbing anything except her phone, she made her way out of her room through her bay window. Climbing down the fire escape ladder, Riley trembled in the cold but still continued to walk to the Subway station.

Entering the station, she happily embraced the warmth and swiped her Subway card before she ran to the Subway car that had just arrived. Plopping herself down on a seat, she sighed, running her hand through her hair. A lady besides her gave her a look of concern but didn't say anything. After three stops, she finally arrived at the NYU station. Quickly, she ran out of the car and dashed towards the NYU building that never looked as inviting as before.

She flung open the doors and brisk-walked to her Uncle's dorm. She felt at home, calm even, at NYU. She felt at... Home. A feeling that she hadn't felt since a long time ago. She finally came to her Uncle's dorm and she stood out there, contemplating whether she should burden her Uncle with all her issues. Her hand hovered in the air, clenched in a fist, about to knock but she didn't have to.

The door swung open and there stood Joshua Matthews, the only person in the universe Riley felt that cared for her. "Riles! You're shivering. Why aren't you wearing your coat? Get in!" He ordered in a fatherly way and Riley obliged. Her teeth chattering, she entered the dorm and met with the sight of Josh's roommate, Andre, who was currently shirtless and strumming a guitar.

The brunette felt like shrieking but she didn't have the energy to. Simply, she covered her eyes and in a whisper, she said, "Uncle Josh? Your roommate's half naked..." Her Uncle immediately threw a surprised Andrew a shirt and demanded him to get changed. Once he was fully covered, Andrew laughed. "Your niece is too innocent for this world dude. She does know that in College, most parties are going to end up with half naked guys, right?"

Josh punched Andrew on his shoulder but his roommate simply chuckled. "I'm going out for some drinks. See you in a bit Josh!" Andrew grinned, flashing his white teeth before grabbing his coat, wallet and phone. He then ran out of his dorm after jokingly saluting Josh.

"So, my favourite niece..." Josh started, running his hand through his hair. "What seems to be the problem?" He plopped himself down next to Riley who was sitting on his bed. Riley choked back a sob before unleashing all her hurt and sadness, telling Josh about all her problems, nightmares and insecurities she had faced, alone, of quite a long time.

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 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this first chapter of my first ever GMW fanfic. Please R &R, check out my Percy Jackson stories on through my account 'HeroesOfOlympus'. Please leave a review and tell me if this fanfic is okay.**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **(Official)HeroesOfOlympus**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyy ya'll! It's me again, back with another chapter! Thank ya'll so much for your support and I hope you are enjoying my story! First of all, would ya'll like this to be a RileyxLucas fanfic or a RileyxOC fanfic? I'll introduce my OC soon and I hope ya'll like him. Please R &R and also check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com with the username HeroesOfOlympus. Without further ado, here's the second chapter!**

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Riley curled up on her Uncle's bed, her head in his lap as her body shook from her sobs. Her uncle whispered soothing words while inwardly, he wanted nothing more than to murder everyone who had hurt his dear niece. "What should I do, Uncle Josh? I feel bad about being so selfish..." Riley cried, tears flowing down her face and splattering onto Josh's bed sheets. Silence fell over them until Josh spoke up.

"Riley, as far as I know, you've always been the one putting other's needs before yourself, I think it's time you put yourself before everyone else. From what you've told me, I think you should take a break from them. Stay with me for a while. Grab some clothes and necessities from your house and just stay with me. You can take the Subway to school and keep me company as well!" Josh grinned, excitement heard in his voice.

Riley sniffled and got up from her lying down position. "Can I Uncle Josh? Really?" Riley asked, pushing down her excitement just in case her heart could get crushed anymore.

Josh gave his niece as small smile, sympathy, anger and sadness shining in his eyes. He nodded his head and he swore he saw some of Riley's old happiness return to her eyes.

Suddenly, Riley frowned and pulled her knees to her chest. "But... Won't my parents get mad? What if Maya gets angry at me for ruining her chance with you? What if-" Riley was cut off as Josh pulled her into a hug, squeezing her tightly. Drawing circles on her back, Riley soon stopped hyperventilating. Pulling away from the hug, Josh squeezed his hands around Riley's shoulders.

"Stop worrying Riley. Stop being so selfless. Stop putting everyone's needs before you. And if Maya gets mad, she's no friend." Josh stated firmly as Riley slowly looked up. Riley was touched beyond words about her Uncle being so caring and acting like a father. Sobbing, Riley placed her head against her Uncle's chest and let her tears wet her Uncle's shirt.

"You should be a therapist..." Riley mumbled and they both started laughing. "Don't ever change Niece..." Josh smiled, placing his arms around Riley.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Riley's eyes fluttered open slowly. She squinted, adjusting her eyes to the sunlight that streamed through the window. Everything that happened last night came rushing back to her and she couldn't believe she _actually_ ran away from home and that her Uncle was so caring. Speaking of her Uncle, Riley turned her head and saw him sleeping on his study table's chair with his mouth wide open, his snores loudly filling the room.

A thin smile flickered across the Brunette's face before it disappeared as quick as lightning. She realised her Uncle had given up his bed for her to sleep comfortably, and she knew how much her Uncle treasured his sleeping time.

Suddenly, her Uncle jolted up in his seat and fell onto the floor. "Ouch..." Josh rubbed his head which had hit the floor and looked up, only to see his Niece's head facing his direction with her eyes wide.

"Morning my favourite Niece of all time. How was your sleep?" Josh grinned, flashing his teeth and Riley gave him a fake smile. Before the girl could reply, Josh's smile was wiped off his face as he scrambled up from the floor and plopped himself next to her. Propping herself up, Josh shook his head.

"Riley, don't give me a fake smile. Please don't pretend to be happy when you're not!" Josh furrowed his eyebrows as Riley's mouth hung open in shock. For so long, Riley had been giving everyone fake smiles instead of her real, genuine ones and nobody had ever noticed, except for now.

Taking her silence as guilt, Josh tried to cheer up the mood by nudging her. "How about we go back to your home and get the stuff you need before heading to Paco's Tacos for breakfast? Come on, it's a Saturday! You've got no school and I've got no school!" Josh gave her a grin, his dimples showing.

Running her fingers through her brown hair, Riley sighed and gave an uncertain nod to her Uncle. Grabbing her wrist, Josh dragged his Niece after him and out of his dorm. Walking through the hallway, Riley saw many students coming out of their dorms and heading out for their weekend fun. Snapping out of her daydreaming, Riley found herself in front of her Uncle's car.

Opening the door for her, Josh shot Riley a concerned look before giving her one of his blinding white smiles. Riley gave her Uncle a reassuring nod before climbing into the car while her Uncle shut the door for her. She looked around the black and sleek Audi car that belonged to her Uncle and saw only a schoolbag at the back seat. Overall, the car was very neat and clean.

The driver's door opened and Josh sat himself down on his seat. Closing the door, he then started the engine and headed in the direction of Riley's house. Since it was a Saturday morning and they had got up quite early, there was a small number of cars on the road, which was easier for Josh to drive since there was no traffic. During the short trip, Riley filled her Uncle up about how Maya, Lucas and her had decided to just be friends, which ended the triangle.

Coincidentally, Riley ended her 'story' just as Josh pulled up outside her house. "So, do you want to sneak into your room through the fire escape ladder or go through the front door?" Josh turned his body sideways as he asked.

Riley simply shrugged her shoulders, a blank expression on her face. "They won't care either way." Riley bit her lip, looking straight ahead.

Josh recoiled back in shock for Riley thinking that way before composing himself. "I bet they're worried sick about you Riley! I bet they're frantic and calling everyone who knows you-" Josh was cut off by Riley sighing and shoving her phone in his face.

On Riley's calls page, there were zero calls from yesterday and today except for her call to Josh. Josh was stunned and felt his blood boil. What type of parents didn't even know their own daughter was missing from the house? Josh clenched his steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, which Riley looked at curiously.

"Front door it is." Josh stated and they got out of the car. Walking up the stairs, they reached Riley's level and they stood outside the door. Knocking the door, Josh stood there impatiently, his arms folded across his chest while Riley stood at the side, looking down at her shoes.

After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity to Josh, the door opened and there stood his brother, Cory. Cory grinned, opening his arms for a hug. "My brotha!" He screamed but Josh stood there stoically, a frown on his face. "Where's Riley?" Josh asked and Cory raised his eyebrow as Josh usually would scream back the same greeting and hug him. Nonetheless, the History teacher furrowed his eyebrows and answered the question.

"Riley? Oh, she's up in her room I think." Cory seemed confused from the sudden question. Josh gave his brother a tight smile before slamming the door in his face. Cory jumped in shock and turned around to look at his wife who was seated at the table. Topanga gave him a questioning look which he shrugged his shoulders at. Opening the door again, Cory saw nobody. "Strange..." Cory muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, Josh and Riley were running down the stairs. Riley felt numb and sad but she had expected that. No one cared enough for her to realise she had been missing since last night. Josh, on the other hand, was very much the opposite. A million curses meant for Riley's parents and friends raced through his head and he wanted nothing else but to punch all of them in their pathetic faces.

Reaching the lobby, they walked out of the building and started climbing the fire escape ladder in silence. Once they reached the second level, they both hoisted themselves over the railing and walked to Riley's bay window which was wide open but when they looked inside, what they saw made them shocked.

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 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Please R &R, also comment down below if you want this to be a RileyxLucas fanfic of RileyxOC fanfic and what do you think Riley and Josh saw that made them shocked. Thank ya'll for your comments and I will reply to them in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyyy ya'll! I'm back with another chapter for Girl Meets Alone and Broken! So, I realised I was so stupid. I didn't even introduce my OC in this story and I'm asking ya'll to vote. Anyway, here are my replies to your comments.**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Lol**

Hi! Thank you for your positive comment. It really made my day :) As you can tell, I did update 'soon'

 **Guest**

Your spelling of 'please' is amazing :D

 **RucasLover**

Well, I can give you a hint that there is going to be a triangle again. As you can guess, it's Riley, Lucas and my OC. Just hold on and meet my OC, maybe you might like him and Riley more than Rucas?

 **amherendeen**

Hahaha, I got more than a second part :) This isn't a one-shot, it's a story. I might even have s sequel!

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) Like I said, just hold on and meet my OC. You might even like him more than Lucas. There will be a chapter where I will ask ya'll to start voting for either Rucas or RileyxOC.

 **Guest**

Thank you! I hope my second chapter was as good as my first. Me too. I love Rucas but I think I might like my OC more than Lucas. My OC is not exactly a friend of Josh. He's actually the younger brother of a friend of Josh's (Spoilers for this chapter). I will also have ya'll vote for Joshaya or have Maya be a single and lonely pringle.

 **Kashirama**

Thank you! Hahaha, I already have the third chapter.

 **Guest**

Like I said, please wait for my OC and vote in the later chapter for either Rucas or RileyxOC. Anyway, thank you for your positive comment!

 **AlchemyBlue**

Thank you! And as you can see, I did continue the story.

 **Guest**

I know Riley sounded like a bad friend but hear me out. In this story, Riley is constantly being pushed aside by her parents and friends because of Maya. If you watch the show, do you realise many times when Riley's own parents pay more attention to Maya? Plus, Maya now has Shawn and Katy but she still craves more attention when her own mother and stepfather are trying so hard to pay her attention. Also, Riley is always the one who has to keep being happy in her group. After a while, I'm sure she gets tired. When has anyone ever asked her whether she was okay? Why didn't anyone realise earlier that Riley was being bullied for a week in Girl Meets Rileytown? I think Riley kinda has the right to be like that cos she's constantly being looked down on. Maya is always receiving compliments on her art, her beauty but Riley's only compliment was that she looked pretty, had a nice shirt and slept well. Her own parents even compliment Maya right in front of their own daughter! Sorry I rambled but I just feel Riley isn't getting enough love from everybody and she's always being the one pushed aside. She believes in so many people but they never believed in her, not when she tried out for cheerleading! They even told her to freaking give up even though she had always supported everything they believed and had an interest in! I'm sorry I rambled, I just can relate to Riley.

 **Chapter 2**

 **Guest**

Hahaha, thank you! :) Please wait for my OC and see whether you like him more than Lucas.

 **Lol**

You're literally one of the few who votes RileyxOC.

 **Rucas**

Like I said, please wait for my OC, whom I will introduce in this chapter.

 **Guest**

Hahaha, I am making Lucas a bit of a jerk aren't I? But, I will make him a bit more like his normal character later.

 **amherendeen**

I ship Rucas as well and actually, the ships will be all up to you, the readers! :)

 **rebeccas1016**

I'm a huge Rucas fan as well but wait and meet my OC. You might like him more than Lucas:)

 **myabeec2**

Love you're spelling of 'please'! :D I'm sorry if I took so long to update, I feel the need to reply to all your comments cos I am seriously amazed by all your support! Hahaha, I'm acting like Rick Riordan. I'm giving ya'll a cliffy and I feel so evillll. Wait for my OC, whom I will introduce in this chapter. I think you might like him. Hmmm... Maybe...? You'll have to read on to find out! It's up to ya'll. There will be a vote for Rucas or RileyxOC.

 **Guest**

Thank you! Like I said, please vote for your favourite ship (Rucas or RileyxOC). I am personally in love with my OC already!

 **ItsMe**

You just gotta wait and read... Vote for your favourite ship later! :)

 **violet1429**

I love how you're so nice in voting for your ship! :D Meet my OC first and see whether you like him more than Lucas?

 **daghely**

Just wait and read,,, :) Wait for my OC first and see if you like him more than Lucas. I know right?! It's so frustrating how Riley always forgives everyone so easily. Don't worry, she's not gonna forgive them THAT easily.

 **Jamison**

Your comment is really deep. Please vote for either Rucas or RileyxOC in the comments. I'm a huge fan of PJO. I started reading the books when I was like seven years old. Please check out my PJO stories! Thank you! :)

 **Uniquely Blonde**

First of all, I love your username. Second of all, I know right! I feel kinda frustrated that Lucas took so long to pick Riley in the triangle. He could have just told them how he felt about both of them in the first place and Riley wouldn't have gotten so hurt and confused. Thank you so much for your comment! It really made my day! :)

 **Guest**

Please vote down below what ships you want. If you really want Lucaya, I guess you can.

 **princessdancingsunshine3**

Thank you! :) I will update as fast as I can. Yeah, I agree she should't forgive him that easily. Please cast your votes for your favourite ship Rucas or RileyxOC in the comments after you get to know more about my OC.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) I will try. I won't be deciding the ship in this story, ya'll, the readers will! Me too. I don't really support Lucaya, no offence to Lucaya shippers out there but I think they're more of siblings. Their banters are sibling like too. Anyway, thank you again!

 **Guest**

Thank you! :D I won't be deciding the ship (Rucas or RileyxOC). It's actually up to ya'll, the readers! I will let Lucas suffer a teensy bit. I know what you mean. I don't really support that ship as well.

 **Guest**

Pleaseeee meet my OC first? Thank you:)

 **Guest**

You spelt Rucas as Rucsas! ;)

 **Ashlyn**

First of all, thank you! :D Second of all, I know what you mean and don't worry. I'm not going to make Maya some evil villain and Riley the victim.

 **Lolly**

I know it's unbelievable how Josh got such an expensive car but the reason is going to be in one of the chapters. Here's hint though, he's actually sharing the car with someone and no, it's not Andrew. It's a girl... ;)

 **So... That's all the comments I can answer for now. If you would like me to reply to your comments, please leave the word 'REPLY' in brackets so I won't have to write down all my answers to all your comments, which I love (I mean your comments not me not having to reply everything), and you won't have to go through the pain of scrolling down so much just to read the story. Thank you for all your support! Please R &R and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com under the username HeroesOfOlympus. Without further ado, here's the third chapter!**

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Bodies littered Riley's bedroom floor, mainly her classmates's bodies. Josh and Riley could make it out the faint scent of alcohol which meant they all probably drank the alcohol in her bedroom before getting themselves drunk. That could explain why her bedroom was badly trashed. But that wasn't what shocked her at all.

On her very own bed were two familiar bodies she knew all two well. They were the only two who were on her bed.

It was none other than her best friend and her crush. They were on her bed, their hands clasped together with a content look on both of their faces with Maya's head on Lucas's chest. Riley sighed and mentally scolded herself for doing so. Maya could do whatever she wanted with Lucas, she shouldn't care about it but how could she do that? How could she not care that her first kiss (Farkle was not counted), her first date, her first crush, her first boyfriend (At least for a while), was with Maya? 'But she deserves to have him... Her father left her, she's hurt. You have everything that she doesn't have. A family, a home, a real crush. Stop being so selfish...' A voice echoed in her head as she dug her nails into her thighs.

Riley felt someone squeeze her wrist and she realised it was her Uncle. Biting her lip, she shakily nodded her head. "I'm fine..." Riley whispered to him, a defeated and dead look in her eyes. Josh felt a swell of sympathy, not only for Riley but for Lucas, whose face he was going to smash his fists into for doing this to Riley.

"Let's just get my stuff..." Riley whispered and began to tiptoe, making her way to her closet. Josh was shaken back to reality from his thoughts about different ways to murder Lucas. Just before he could go after Riley, Black eye, which was the name Josh came up for Lucas because the guy was going to get two black eyes very soon, began to wake up. Grabbing his head, Lucas's moaned.

Quick as lightning, Riley dashed out of her closet with a backpack in tow, and dragged Josh out of her room through her bedroom window. Running down the fire escape ladder, Josh was startled how fast Riley could run without even falling down once.

Reaching the pavement, Josh was panting, out of breath, whereas Riley was breathing normally. "First of all, how are you not out of breath? Second of all, how did you get all the things you need so quickly? Third of all, how are you not out of breath?" Josh asked, taking in loud breaths in between each sentence.

Riley blushed and bit her bottom lip. "I... I kinda sneak out of the house and jog in the morning every weekend. Also, I actually thought about running away more than once. I decided if things got really bad I could just pick up my bag and go. So, I packed everything I needed in that bag." Riley controlled herself from crying right there and then because she was just so sick of crying.

Josh saw his Niece's lower lip tremble slightly and so, he pulled her into a tight hug. Once they pulled away, Josh rubbed his hands in glee. With excitement gleaming in his eyes, he gave Riley one of his famous blinding white smiles. "So, who's ready for some breakfast Paco's Tacos?"

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Laughing, Josh and Riley playfully shoved each other while they walked back to Josh's dorm. Suddenly, Josh's phone vibrated which meant he had a message. Pulling his phone out from his pocket, he unlocked his phone before reading the message. Furrowing his eyebrows, Josh turned off his phone and sighed. "Sorry Niece but I've gotta go meet up with somebody. It's really important. How about you go back to the dorm and use my computer to watch YouTube or something? I'll be back in one hour or so. Okay? Bye!" Josh urgently ran and Riley swore he said something about girls being frustrating.

Shrugging, Riley shouldered her black and purple backpack, which was given to her by her Aunt Morgan, and walked towards Josh's dorm. Once she reached the door, she turned the door handle and opened the door.

She expected to see Andrew but instead, she saw a guy around her age tossing a basketball up in the air before catching it. Turning around, green-blue eyes met chocolate brown ones and Riley couldn't help but think about Lucas due to the green part of the guy's eyes.

"Who are you?" The guy asked calmly, not bothered by the fact that there was a complete stranger in the room. Riley took this time to look at the guy. He had hair as black as night with a few bluish green streaks among the black. He had a sharp jawline and his eyes sparkled under the room's light. He wore a black leather jacket with spiky studs on the shoulder pads, a navy blue v-neck shirt, a pair of black jeans with the pockets dark grey and green converse with black laces. He was muscular, but not in the gross kind of way, and Riley could make out a firm six-pack underneath that shirt. He was taller than her and Riley couldn't help but think of Lucas, who was shorter than the guy about three to four inches.

Unknown to her, the guy was looking at Riley as well. Long luscious wavy hair that was many shades of brown, kind but sad big doe chocolate brown eyes, kissable pinkish red lips which the guy knew was all natural and not lipstick. She wore an oversized dark blue sweatshirt that reached to her knees with the words 'NYU, 1831' in white, black leggings that showed off her muscular yet thin legs and a pair of black ankle boots. She was quite tall and had an hourglass figure.

"Aren't you gonna answer?" The guy asked but not in a mean way. Riley raised her eyebrow and crossed her hands over her chest, huffing. "I'm Josh's Niece. And who are you?" She questioned.

The guy got off the edge of Andrew's bed and stood directly in front of Riley. He gave her a lopsided grin that showed off his pearly white teeth. "Josh has a Niece? This old? Actually, don't answer that. To answer your question, I'm Andrew's stepbrother. My mum married his dad when I was seven so I'm not blood related to him whatsoever." The guy answered before walking over to Josh's chair and spinning around in it.

"Name's Logan Hunter by the way. How about you?" The guy, now identified as Logan, stopped spinning around in his chair and looked at Riley. Riley fidgeted, playing with the sleeves of the sweatshirt and finally, introduced herself. "My name's Riley Matthews. Do you go to John Adams High School?" Riley asked.

Logan tilted his head backwards and laughed. "I remember you now. Aren't you Cory Matthews's daughter? The one that always hangs out with the two guys who tried out for football, the rebellious blonde artist and the two geniuses?" Inwardly, Riley sighed at the only two ways Logan could remembered her but outside, she gave him a tight smile. Nodding her head, a sudden memory of an 11th grader defending a freshman from a bully flashed in her mind and she remembered the guy.

"I remember you now as well. You're a grade higher than me, 11th grade, right? People always call you 'The Rebel' even though you don't skip classes or talk back to any teachers." Riley recalled, sitting down on the edge of Josh's bed. Logan sighed and ran his fingers through his Raven black hair. "I hate that name... People always avoid me supposedly because I'm 'The Rebel' and I act and look scary." Logan closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

"I know how you feel. Besides, I don't really think you're 'The Rebel'. I think you're more of 'The Kind-hearted Rebel slash Warrior slash Knight'." Riley cursed herself for sounding so goofy and Logan laughed again. His laughed sounded so angelic, like an... Angel. Riley betted that if there were thousands of people laughing, she would only hear his. It was music to her ears, to put it simply.

"Thanks Riley. You're the only person in school that isn't afraid of me. I appreciate that, really. Now, you interrupted a very important game that I was going to watch. I was going to watch some NBA. The Knicks, aka the best team in the world, versus Cavaliers!" Logan was cut off by Riley rushing towards the remote controller before he could get it and turning on the television, switching to the Sports channel.

Plopping herself down on Josh's bed, which was the closest to the television, she leaned forward in anticipation for the match to begin. Puzzled, Logan got off Josh's chair and sat down next to the Brunette. Before he could ask why the girl was so excited, the game began and Riley started her full on Riley loves Knicks mode.

"NO! Grab the freaking ball Derrick! Don't let that good for nothing Cav shoot the ball! Come on, you can do so much better than that!" Riley screamed throughout the game with Logan looking at the girl besides him in wonder and amazement. Finally, the game came to and end. Groaning, Riley stuffed her face into her hands and muttered curses about the Cavs and the Knicks.

Logan, on the other hand, was unusually not bothered that much that his favourite team lost but rather, was very interested by the girl next to him. "I can't even. Oh my gosh, what is happening to my favourite team?" Riley complained, throwing Josh's pillow across the room in a fit of anger before rushing towards it and picking it up. Logan swore he heard Riley apologising to the pillow for throwing it across the room.

Chuckling, Logan got up from his seat and shoved his hands into his leather jacket's pockets. "I'm pretty sure the pillow's fine Knicksie." Logan teased, lying down on Andrew's bed. Riley seemed startled that Logan called her Knicksie and that he could hear her from all the way across the room whispering to the pillow.

"Knicksie? Seriously? That's the only nickname you could think of?" Riley asked, gently putting Josh's pillow down on Andrew's chair. Logan propped himself up on his right arm and raised his eyebrow, as if challenging her if she could come up with a better nickname. Riley pondered for a while, thinking of different nicknames she could give the guy.

Finally, after a quick thinking of ten seconds she came up with a nickname, actually two. "Wolverine and dark warrior!" She sat down next to him, playing with her sweatshirt's sleeves. Logan scrunched up his face and reluctantly nodded his head, admitting defeat. "So, Wolverine, my first question for you is, what do you wanna be when you grow up?" Riley asked.

Despite the fact that Logan only met the girl and he usually didn't talk to anyone except Andrew that much, he felt comfortable with her presence and began to answer every question she had for him and listening to her answers to her own questions.

Riley felt calmer than she had ever been. She felt back to normal again but a bit more sarcastic, loud and not afraid to speak her mind.

Both got lost in their conversation that they didn't realise that they had spent three hours talking. Soon, they slowly began to drift off and eventually, fell asleep. They had a content and happy look on their face, two feelings that had been missing from them for a long time. Snuggling closer to each other, Logan found himself wrapping his arm around the girl and Riley found herself snuggling closer to his chest. They both could smell each other's scents. Riley smelt of vanilla and Logan smelt of chocolate. It was the perfect mix.

After an hour, Josh cam back to his dorm, only to find his precious Niece sleeping with Logan, his roommate's stepbrother. Instead of shouting, he noticed Riley's content look and paused himself form opening his mouth. He would ask Logan and Riley later, he didn't want to jump to conclusions. He trusted Logan, whom he knew for two years due to him constantly visiting of his stepbrother, and Riley. For now, he would enjoy seeing Riley peaceful again.

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 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Please review, favourite and follow. Remember to put the word 'REPLY' in brackets if you want me to reply to your comment and don't start voting for your ship (Rucas or RileyxLogan) yet! There will be a chapter where I will indicate to start voting so hold on. I am literally bursting from happiness from all your reviews! Thank ya'll so much for the support! So I only can remember a few names who guessed correctly ro was really close to the answer. Shoutout to Kashirama, Animalover48, Aria, myabeer2, ItsMe, daghely and DoubleDee068! I'm sorry if I did not mention your name if you got it correct. If you guessed correct, here's an imaginary gold star for you! See ya'll in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy ya'll! First of all, thank you so much for your amazing support. Ya'll are literally the best. So, before I reply to your reviews and the story, I have a question for ya'll. What should Riley and Logan's ship name be? Review what you think would suit them. I thought so hard but I only came up with Rogan and I was about to say Liley but that's a less popular ship name for Rucas. Please favourite, follow, review and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com with the username HeroesOfOlympus. Before we start, here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **UniquelyBlond**

Your comment really did make my day, this one as well! :) You're most welcome and thank you as well. It's based off my favourite book series of all time Percy Jackson and Heroes Of Olympus.I know what you mean. I don't like hate Lucas but sometimes he's just so... UGH. Thank you and I kinda can relate to Riley too about feeling left out and feeling guilty. Thank you! :D I try to make my story as realistic as possible cos sometimes I read these stories and they turn out to be Lucaya and they always make Riley so evil and self-centred even though it's not how her personality is in the show. Thank you! I based his looks a bit off Percy Jackson and I'm trying to make him kind of like Riley. Like him always being placed under a category and kinda pressured to stay that way if that make sense? I'm worried about that too, it' going to be so hard to write that scene... :( I know! He's got like a bad boy kinda vibe and they might start saying "Oh, he's bad for you and blablablabla" Thank you so much! You're one of my most favourite people on this planet now! :D

 **Kashirama**

You did the 'Yay' just like Riley! She'll be so proud of you! :) Thank you, thank you, THANK YOUUUU! :)))) Maya and Lucas aren't actually together. Yes! Someone who understands. I know, it's so frustrating! Yes, yes, yes! i couldn't agree with you more! Thank you! :D

 **Guest (The one that called Riley a bad friend)**

I also now understand where you're coming from, about Maya. I know, I should have made Riley less... mean. Anyway, thank you! Hahaha, I try to reply cause' I think ya'll are really important and ya'll are the ones giving me amazing reviews and making my day, so it's the least I can do for ya'll. Hahaha:D Thanks!

 **lol**

Yeah, I know right! I ship them too, so much! :) I'm not sure yet, it's up to ya'll to vote for their ship name!

 **KissinTexas**

Thank you! :) Like I said, ya'll are the ones who are choosing the ships in this fanfic! I'm fine with all ships but the ships I am more in love with are easier for me to write. I don't write Lucaya or Riarkle very well, mostly. Riley and Logan are not going to start dating in this fanfic, neither is Rucas. Okay, huge spoiler alert but there will be a triangle in the last chapter of this fanfic!

 **originalguest**

I guess you can vote for Joshua but I will be introducing, HUGE SPOILER ALERT, Josh's girlfriend very soon. I hope ya'll will like her, if not, you can vote for Joshaya I guess. Thank you to both compliments! :)

 **Lolly**

Hahaha, your ship name is actually really good! Vote it down in the review section! (But actually, shouldn't it be Rogan?)

 **Now, that's done! If I did not reply to your review, please inform me in your next review and remember to put 'REPLY' in brackets. Please favourite, follow, review and check my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com out under the username HeroesOfOlympus! Without further ado, here's the fourth chapter of Girl meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

Logan groaned, a few shouts echoing around the room, making him wake up. He was a heavy sleeper and could always sleep, anywhere and everywhere. (He even fell asleep in the toilet before and that gave him a painful neck for a week.) But, this time he was really, really comfortable. He hadn't slept calmly or happily in a long time. Nuzzling his head into his pillow, he realised with a startle that it was hair.

He opened his eyes slightly and saw wavy, silky hair that was many shades of brown.

Shocked, his eyes widened open and he realised he was cuddling with Riley, the girl he had only met for a day. With his arms wrapped around the Brunette's thin waist and her head pressed against his chest, they were basically spooning. And Logan never, ever made use of a girl like that.

He wanted to get up but he was just so comfortable and it felt natural to have Riley's body pressed against him, his chin resting on top of her head. The Brunette moved slightly, swinging her left leg over Logan's leg and wrapping her arms tighter around Logan. He simply shut his eyes again, letting a little content sigh come out of his mouth, ignoring the shouts behind him.

Unfortunately for him, the shouts awoken Riley and her eyes slowly fluttered open, her beautiful chocolate brown eyes shining golden under the lights. Slowly, she looked up and gold-brown eyes met blue-green ones. Blushing, she realised the position they were in and she cautiously unwrapped her arms around him and untangled herself from him.

Flashing her one of his signature lopsided grins, Riley blushed even more and she looked up, only to see Josh and her parents behind Logan. The three of them hadn't noticed Riley had woken up yet, and Riley planned to keep it that way.

Shushing Logan, who was about to talk, by clamping her hand over his mouth, Logan saw fear and anxiousness in her eyes. She signalled him to come closer and they found themselves in a similar position as when they were sleeping. "Please Wolverine, help me get out of here without letting those two people my Uncle is talking to. Please?" She whispered and Logan found himself smirking.

He intended to make full use of Riley desperation. "Deal but I have two options for helping you. Choose either one or both." He whispered, a mischievous glee in his eyes. Gulping, Riley gestured for him to continue and he smirked. "Either you hang out with me before school, in between classes, free periods and lunch, or you buy me coffee for the rest of my life. Just to let you know, I take one or more cups of coffee a day." He winked.

With no hesitation, Riley immediately chose the first option because she was technically broke as long as she stayed with Josh, which she intended to do until he left college. Logan and Riley shook hands, and Logan signalled her to follow him.

Steadily, Logan rolled off the bed and landed onto the floor, with no sound at all. Peeking at her parents and Josh, they hadn't realised someone rolled off the bed. She knew she would make a lot of noise when she rolled off the bed so she waited for a few seconds for her cue. "SHE'S OUR DAUGHTER JOSH!" Her mother screamed, bursting everyone's ear drums in the room.

While Toping said, technically screamed that, Riley rolled off the bed and landed beside Logan. Giving her a thumbs up and a grin, Logan gestured to the window that was wide open above them. Nodding her head, Logan then shot up and pulled himself over the window ledge and landed outside on the grass. Riley took in a deep breath before doing the same thing as Logan, without making a sound.

Silently thanking her Aunt Morgan for convincing her to join Rock Climbing lessons for a week, she and Logan began sprinting on the grass field, Riley's angelic laughter filling the air and giving Logan a warm feeling in his stomach. "That was amazing!" Logan shouted, pumping his fists in the air as Riley giggled. Spending time with Logan made her forget about all her problems and insecurities.

Suddenly, Logan cursed as he looked at his phone screen. "What? What's the problem?" Riley asked as Logan ran his fingers through his Raven black hair. "I forgot I promised my friend from boxing class that I will meet him today. Hey, how about you join us?" Logan asked, grinning at her.

Inwardly melting from Logan's grin, Riley nodded her head and Logan grabbed her hand, dragging her across NYU's field and across the street. After passing many shops, restaurants and pet shops, Logan stopped in front of a gym. The gym was painted black in colour, with white paint splattered on the black. The sliding doors opened and Logan dragged her into the gym.

"Ah! Loggie, my boy!" A man shouted, coming out from an office that had the words 'DA BOSS' printed on the glass door. Riley stifled her laughter, clasping her hand over her mouth, resisting the urge to laugh at Logan's nickname. "And who's this lovely lady?" The man asked, winking at Logan, making the Raven black haired and brunette teens blush a deep scarlet red.

Logan then rolled his eyes, saying, "Hey Uncle X. This is Riley, she's my friend. Also, where's Wade?" The man, now identified as Uncle X, gave his nephew a smirk and pointed at the punching bags behind him. "Wade's real crossed with you my boy, you better go quick. Maybe introducing Riley will get his anger to subside."

Logan thanked his Uncle as Riley gave him a small smile before she was once again dragged by Logan to the punching bags. Many people was punching the bags, loud grunts heard from each person and some yells and curses from the boxing ring. Strangely, Riley felt calm instead of scared, an emotion she usually would've felt if she came with her 'friends'. Maybe it was the fact that Logan was next to her, his hand fitting in hers perfectly, warmth from his body spreading to Riley.

Suddenly, a guy came into her view. He was shorter than Logan by one or two inches, had black hair that was dyed all blood red and styled into a quiff, medium sized black eyes and a very well toned body like Logan, except he was a little bit less muscular. The guy wore a sweatshirt with no sleeves, the words 'JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL SWIM TEAM' printed in bold, and black workout shorts. He was sweating profusely, his clothes drenched in sweat.

"You're late Loggie, I can't believe you had me wait for-" The guy stopped, spotting the girl behind Logan, who was holding his friend's hand. "Woah, who's that chick Loggie? Can't believe you scored a girl like her!" The guy wiggled his eyebrows, his hand reaching out to shake Riley's hand.

Logan sighed, running his hand through his hair and saying, "Wade, meet Riley. Riley, meet Wade. And no Wade, I am not dating her. We're friends, that's it." Wade gave Logan a smirk and backed away, mockingly raising his hands up in the air as if he was 'surrendering'. "So, Ms Riley, will you be joining us for our weekly workout or are you gonna sit out?" Wade asked, making his way to the punching bag, as if he already knew what Riley's answer would be, to not join them.

To his utter shock and surprise, Riley gave him a thin smile, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. Nodding her head, she pulled her hair up into a messy bun and said, "I'm joining in. But, I'm gonna need a few pointers." Logan gave Riley a blinding white grin, making his way to her side, not before taking off his jacket and folding it neatly and placing it onto the bench.

Cracking his knuckles, Logan rolled his shoulders and got into a boxing stance. "Watch and learn." He said and punched the bag with his bare fists, making the bag move a great distance, more than anyone else who was currently punching a bag even though they were all older than him.

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 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter! Please favourite, follow, review and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction. com under the username HeroesOfOlympus. I know this chapter wasn't really interesting but it is necessary for later chapters, especially when Logan is gonna get into a fight. See ya'll in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyyy ya'll! I'm back again with another chapter! First of all, thank ya'll for your amazing** **support. So many reviews, follows and favourites. I'm so blessed to have this amount of support. Second of all, I'm not sure if some read my Author's note cos some reviews are questions directed towards me but there's no 'REPLY' in brackets. So, reminder for ya'll. If you want me to reply to your comments, please write 'REPLY' in brackets after your message. Before we begin, here are my replies.**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Uniquely Blonde**

It was your birthday? Oh my gosh, Happy Belated birthday! Hope all your wishes come true! Thank you! :) She totally is. I'm aiming for her to become a strong and independent person. Plus, I weirdly like the idea of a goody two shoes who's against fighting, actually knowing how to box! :D YES! Logan is kinda like Percy but a teensy bit more bad boyish. They both actually have a lot more in common. You'll see soon... ;) Every comment you write makes my day! I think you're literally one of the best people on this planet! Aww, thanks! :) I think Maya is getting a lot of attention. I'm also not happy that most YouTubers who kinda give spoilers to each episode is a Lucaya fan and is basically hating on Riley, saying Maya is a better friend than Riley is and Maya deserves someone better. It just makes me so UGH.

 **Ghost adventure lover23**

Thank you! :)

 **volleyballer82**

Does that mean you like Lucas more? Hahahahaha, I'm confused. Yes, but Riley's gonna be giving them the silent treatment.

 **PixieDreamer21**

Maybe... ;) Yes! Oh my gosh, you literally almost summarised what I'm planning to do with Lucas. Are you Charles Xavier or something?! I love that ship name too! You like X-Men as well? It's my favourite show! (Next to Guardians of the Galaxy of course) I love Logan and rogue as well! Do you think of them as couple kind of way? I think they're more of Father and Daughter relationship. Okay, I'm seriously starting to think you're Charles Xavier. Are you related to him or something?! You'll just have to wait and see. Voting for many stuff will be coming soon such as if she should or should not punch Maya in the face (Spoiler). Thank you! :)

 **Sanchezashley**

When you say make them longer, I presume you're talking about my story length? I'm sorry if my chapters aren't long enough. The computer I'm using to write is not mine but my mother's and I only have a limited time for using the computer and if I made the chapters longer, I'll take a longer time to post a chapter. Anyway, thank you for your constructive criticism and I will try my very best to make my chapters longer.

 **Harrypotterwannabe00**

Thank you! :)

 **MissCupcakeQueen**

Thank you! :) Hahahahaha, I ship Rucas and RileyxLogan but I'm leaning more on my OC's side, not being bias. I tried so hard to write fluff cos I'm not exactly very experienced with boys as I go to a all girls school and the county I live in, we start dating like when we're 20+ unlike Americans. Irrelevant for your comment but I just wanted to put it out there. Yes, very soon. They're gonna meet Logan as well! WOOOHOOO!

 **ArabellaRoseD**

Spoiler for this chapter! No, she didn't show him up but she did learn the basics very quickly, considering she only took hold an hour and has no experience with fighting. In later chapters, she will start developing her skills and in one part where she fights with Logan, they have a boxing competition and I can't tell you who wins cause spoilers. Thank you! :D

 **originalguest**

Hahahahaha, that's good that you're such a true fan of Joshaya. I hate it when people go "Oh, I'm a huge [Ship name] fan and I am so obsessed with them" and the next minute, they don't support their ship and is supporting another ship. :( I hope you will like her. She's sassy, smart, kind. She's also very rich but she doesn't want to be treated differently so she rarely shows off and usually dresses in edgy yet vintage clothes she gets from cheap stores. Hahahaha, stay true to your ship! #proofoftruejoshayafan

 **Kashirama**

YAYAYAYAAYAYAYAYAYA! Riley's 'Yays' are contagious. Thank you! :) I ship almost anyone besides Lucaya (No offence to Lucaya fans out there). I'm okay with every ship I guess but Lucaya less and Rucas, Smarkle, Zaya/Joshaya more. I think Lucaya is more of a brother-sister relationship. Besides, I think Joshaya is way cuter than Lucaya. Thank you!

 **Lolly**

I just realised. Shoot. I tried to search on the web which High School they go to and I couldn't find it so I used John Adams High School. I'll change it later, Really sorry again. Anyway, thank you! Thank you so, so, so, so much. Your review is amazing and has made my day. I can't even put my gratitude in words. Thank you immensely. :D

 **NerdyArtist**

Hahahaha, huge Rucas fan I see? Vote for your ship in the reviews once I release a chapter that will have the words 'START VOTING FOR ENDGAME' next to the chapter number. I will do exactly that actually. She won't forgive them too quickly and Josh is going to be so overprotective and angry once he sees her with them again.

 **ArtsyNerdyGuest**

Yes, yes, yes and I'm sorry but I can't write Logan not liking Riley cause that is one of the major plots in this story. Auggie will start showing up soon. Riley's gonna forgive him really fast cause he's her little brother and she loves him a lot.

 **AlchemyBlue**

Thank you! :) I hope so too actually but I'm okay with either ship. (RILEY AND LOGAN THOUGH, THE FLUFF!)

 **magsdelena**

Thank you! :) I'm glad I wrote this too cause i'm receiving so many positive and supportive review from ya'll!

 **Now that's done, thank ya'll so much for your amazing reviews and** **support! Please review, follow and favourite! Now here's the ship name for LoganxRiley that was voted in the comments and Private Message the most! Drumrolls please? BADUMBADUMBADUMBADUMSOMEDRUMNOISESCAUSEIDON'TEXACTLYKNOWHOWTOWRITEDRUMNOISES... ROGAN! I think it's the perfect name for them, thank ya'll so much for the votes and support. Without further ado, here's the fifth chapter for this fanfiction!**

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Logan stood beside Riley, muscular arms crossed over his chest, a look of disbelief and utter amazement seen in his eyes. She learnt the basics of boxing, which usually took a week or two, in only an hour. However, his mouth remained in a thin line as he did not want to be teased by Wade, his best friend.

"Knicksie, it's five thirty. We better start heading back to NYU. Besides, I think a bunch of people are worried about you. Your phone has been ringing non stop with messages and calls from Lucas, Maya, Farkle, Smackle, Zay, Mum, Dad and Uncle Josh. At least, that's the names that I have seen flashing across your phone screen." Logan placed his hand on Riley's shoulder, making her stop punching the bag.

Riley stiffened at the names mentioned but relaxed once she heard the name 'Uncle Josh'. Sighing, she crumpled to the floor in exhaustion from not only the workout but from being so sick and tired of her problems. Noticing her unusual silence, Logan sat down next to the Brunette, his shoulder pressed against hers.

Wade gave Logan a sly and mischievous wink before plopping himself down on the other side next to Riley, whom he felt like he knew for years since she had been talking to him and Logan while working out for one and a half hours. Instead of replying, Riley's body started shaking and with a closer look, Logan realised she was crying.

Her body shook from her tears as she placed her head in her palms, darkness consuming her sight. She felt the tears running down her face and no doubt splattering onto her sweatshirt. Wade got up and went to the changing room, knowing that she and Logan were about to have a private conversation, judging from the serious look on Logan's face.

"Queen, why are you crying?" Logan asked, not noticing his change of nickname for Riley. Riley immediately stiffened from the word 'Queen' as it was so close to the word 'Princess', something Lucas called her all the time. Riley felt a pair of arms wrapping around her waist as she sobbed more. She felt herself leaning into a firm chest and she stayed in that position, with Logan's head perched on top of hers and his arms wrapped around her, crying.

After a short while, they pulled away from the hug and Riley missed his warm embrace already. They sat in silence for a while until Logan broke it by saying, "Come. I want to show you something." Nodding her head, Riley was bothered by the fact how easily she trusted Logan. Most people thought it was easy to earn Riley's trust but in fact, it wasn't. She never fully trusted Lucas until he told her his secret, him being kicked out of school for fighting, and she never fully trusted Maya until the Blonde stood up for her despite knowing she would get bullied as well.

Clasping his hand in hers, Logan once again dragged Riley, not before grabbing his and her things. They walked out of the boxing centre and along the streets of New York until they reached the Subway. Instead of stopping, the Rebel continued to drag the silent Brunette into a Subway car and stayed in silence during the whole ride until they reached their destination.

Central Park.

Once again, the pair of teenagers brisk-walked out of the station, past the crowds of people and finally, Logan stopped. Riley looked up and found herself standing underneath a large tree that was along the river banks. Since it was Autumn, the tree leaves were a beautiful shade of red with a tinge of orange. Plopping themselves down under the tree, they admired the sunset.

The sky was a gorgeous shade of red, orange and yellow blended together with specks of white clouds drifting high up in the sky. They sat in silence until Logan spoke up. "What's wrong Queen?" Logan asked. Riley bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes before she blinked hard, making them slowly disappear.

She didn't know why she did it. How she could trust this guy, whom she only knew for one day, with all her secrets, problems and insecurities. She found herself telling him everything. The day she met Lucas, Texas, the Triangle, her parents caring more about Maya then her, Maya and everything.

By the time she was finished, the sun had set, earlier than usual since it was Autumn, and it was eight o'clock. Riley sobbed uncontrollably into Logan's chest, her body shaking as muffled whimpers could be heard from her. Logan sat there, his arms wrapped around the Brunette while he inwardly cursed Riley's so called friends and family.

Once Riley felt better, she moved back a bit so that her head was no longer nuzzled into Logan's chest despite him liking the feeling. They sat side by side, shoulders touching while they watched the recently darkened sky with stars starting to appear slowly.

"I love them." Riley whispered so quietly, Logan almost missed it. She saw Logan's puzzled look and continued, "The stars, I mean. In any other place in New York, I would never be able to see them. But here? I can see them twinkling. They give me... Hope. A feeling I thought I lost."

Logan gave the girl beside him a small smile, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards. "I love them too. I love the night as well. That's why I always come here at night. It gives me a surge of strength and I feel at peace here. Especially under this tree." Logan sighed contently.

Riley peeked out from the corner of her eyes to look at Logan. When she first saw him, she used to think he was nothing more than 'The Rebel'. Just another person, with a label and feared by others around him. But she remembered chastising herself. She was seen as a naive, innocent and forever cheerful girl but if anyone saw her alone, they would see a broken, lost and very insecure girl.

Lost in thought, Riley's phone rang and Logan noticed how she tensed up immediately at the sound of the phone ringing. Shakily, she picked up her phone that lay on the grass and breathed a sigh of relief. Pressing the 'Answer' button, she placed the phone next to her ear.

"Riley! Where are you? Is Logan with you? I have been worried sick! I've called you fifty-two times already!" Josh shouted with concern. Logan felt a swell of happiness to see Riley smile a small smile and inwardly thanked Josh for being the only person in Riley's family to take care of her properly.

"Hi Uncle Josh. I'm at Central Park. Yes, Logan is with me. I'm so, so, so, sorry. I was just... Busy." Riley answered and was grateful to Josh for not asking her what she was busy with. "Good. Anyway, I bet you saw your Dad and Mum when you woke up. Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything. I just told them you just wanted to stay with me for a while because you wanted to check out NYU and see if you would like to attend college there. Guess who told them about you missing and played the whole 'worried sick' act?" Josh rambled.

Riley bit her bottom lip, something she did when she was nervous or upset. 'Please, don't be them.' Riley thought to herself before answering, "Maya and Lucas?"

"Yeah."

Riley took in a deep and shaky breath, feeling herself fake smile, a habit she picked up after a while to keep her 'Smiley Riley' attitude. Logan frowned, seeing her fake smile and reminded himself to make her genuinely smile as much as possible.

"Anyway Riles, your parents have agreed to let you stay with me for a while since they bought my lie and that will also give them time to get rid of the alcohol stench that suddenly appeared in your room. Gee, I wonder how that smell came about?" Josh sarcastically said, earning a light giggle from Riley.

"I'll be back in half an hour Uncle Josh. Also, I'll buy dinner for the both of us. Chinese takeout?" Riley asked. Josh replied with an enthusiastic 'yes' before saying goodbye and ending the call.

"I can get Wade to deliver the Chinese Takeout for both of you, plus me and Andrew. His family owns a chain of Chinese restaurants all over New York. Their food is delicious, trust me. It really taste like Chinese food from China since their family is originally from there." Logan gave Riley a grin while getting up from his sitting position and offering his hand to Riley to help her get up.

Riley gave Logan a genuine smile as she took his hand, getting up from the grass as well. They grabbed their things, their hands still enclasped together before making their way to the Subway, chattering about many things.

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 **Aaaaaand... CUT! Please favourite, follow, review and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com under the username HeroesOfOlympus. By the way, I forgot to mention in the last chapter that Wade's ancestors were originally from China (Not Asia, please do not mistaken china for Asia, I hate it when people think that) so Wade looks Chinese. I wanted to do Wade as Chinese because most shows I watch have very few Chinese characters and if they did, they would only get a small part. That's why I will try to make as many of my OCs different religions. See ya'll in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy ya'll! I'm back again with another chapter. Before I start with the replies to your amazing reviews and this chapter, I would like to thank ya'll for your amazing support! All you comments (helpful criticism and praises) always make my day and I always look forward to writing a new chapter for ya'll! Anyway, here are the replies to your comments!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **ReadingBAWSE**

Thank you so much!:)

 **Nikki**

Hahahaha, that's a scenario I was thinking of writing but that doesn't seem like riley. Right now, I'm trying to portray her as this broken girl that is slowly healing. She won't be snapping at her friends (unfortunately) but will be giving them one-word answers or the silent treatment. Fortunately, there will be a chapter where Riley finally releases her anger on all of the and I cannot wait to portray Riley as this sassy, sarcastic but still down to earth kinda girl! :) Yay! Team Logan!

 **volleyballer82**

I like Lucas as well, I'm also a Rucas fan and I can't wait to write some Rucas fanfictions! I will continue, hahaha, don't worry! :)

 **Guest**

Riley will be hanging out with Logan and Wade at school! :D She will tell off her friends when they kind of try to 'save' her form the Rebel.

 **Harrypotterwannabe00**

Thank you! :)

 **originalguest**

Thank you! :D You're most welcome! I hope she will be liked by ya'll! Yes, I know! I love to write Rogan because I'm just so in love with the idea of The Rebel and the Goody Two Shoes hanging out and they're both actually more alike than they seem.

 **Guest**

How do I check out your story? Are you originalguest? I'm so confused right now...?

 **Kashirama**

ROGAN! Me too but I do love Rucas on GMW. Yes, yes, YES! They deserve so much more though. Thank you! :) I really appreciate your comments! :D The story will be quite long. There may even be a sequel to this story, that's if there are enough people who want to read a sequel! Thank you again!

 **LovelyRucas**

Oh yeah, whoops. Thanks for correcting me! :) Hahahaha, I'm sorry but I'll have to say no to that request. Drama is very much needed! ;)

 **UniquelyBlonde**

You're most welcome! :) Thank you! I'm so in love with Rogan and I wish Logan was a real life character! If he was, I would marry him! :D Yes, like can you imagine when Riley's just playing dodgeball in PE and she gets picked last like usual and all of a sudden, everyone on the opposing team has been hit by Riley in just a few minutes?! That'll be so cool! You're one of the few people to understand my frustrations! I know! I mean, it's just a show. I don't understand why Lucaya shippers go onto Rucas websites or stories and just start hating on the author! If they don't sup[port that ship then why are they even searching it on the web?! I know! Girl Meets World is supposed to be focused on Riley, who is the main character! I like Maya, her personality is kinda like me but I just feel she is getting more love from everyone on the show! Like yesterday, I was watching Girl Meets Popular, the one where Riley turns into the 'Geek Queen' and her own father and Maya embarrassed her in front of everyone during the spelling competition just because they wanted 'Riley' back! I know! Riley is an amazing friend and I would like HER to be my friend! She comforts Maya about Kermit, gives Maya a home and yet everyone is saying Riley is a bad friend?! Thank you and no, that doesn't sound weird. I can't wait to write Riley and Maya fighting and Riley showing everyone she is amazing! Me too! It's fine, i'm sorry about my rant too! :)

 **PixieDreamer21**

Hahahaha. :) I wish I had Charles's mutation! That would be so cool, like I could read people's mind and control them in a way. I like Rogue and Logan in a daughter and father way. You mean X-Men Last Stand? I liked the old Jean, like before the whole join the brotherhood thing. I'm fine with that, I mean everyone has their own opinions and I won't judge them just because I don't like their way of thinking. I have guilty pleasures as well, don't worry. You have to watch Guardians of the Galaxy! It's my all time favourite show! Thank you! :) Oh, she's gonna spend a whole lot of time with Wade and Logan! Lucas is going to get so jealous, like insanely jealous, like more than Charlie Gardner jealous! ;) Thank you! Hahahahaha, I'm glad you like my OCs.

 **Guest**

Thank you! Updated now! :)

 **Now that's done, thank ya'll for all your support! Please follow, favourite, review and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com! Without further ado, here's the next chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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"Morning Knicksie!" Logan grinned, standing at the door of Josh and Andrew's dorm. He wore his trademark black leather jacket with silver studs on the shoulder pads and a pair of navy blue ripped jeans, plus a white v-neck shirt. His green converse shoes squeaked against the wooden floor of the dorm as he walked in.

Riley closed the door after Logan came in and yawned, stretching her arms above her head. While she stretched, Logan plopped himself down onto Josh's, now Riley's, bed. He took a sandwich out of the black backpack he was carrying and began to unwrap the cling foil around the bread.

Taking a bite out of his sandwich, Logan raised his eyebrow and asked, "Why're you still in your pyjamas? We gotta go to school!" At the word 'school', Riley froze, her arms till above her head before she inwardly cursed and dashed to her luggage bag to make out some clothes. After her parents had allowed Riley to stay with Josh, she had sneaked back into her room with Josh the previous day to take more clothes and essentials.

Dashing to the toilet, Riley locked the door behind her and proceeded to brush her teeth, change and comb her hair. In record time, Riley came out of the toilet in five minutes. When she came out from the toilet door, Logan looked up from his phone and his jaw dropped open.

Riley stood there with absolutely no makeup on her face, her hair tied up in a messy top bun and wore a white knit sweater dress, maroon tights, a black infinity scarf and black ankle boots. To Logan, she looked like she was glowing, radiating beauty. He stood there, his mouth wide open and eyes as wide as saucers.

"Is something wrong?" Riley asked him in concern, her insecurities resurfacing when she saw Logan's reaction to how she looked. Did she look ugly? Maybe he thought she was hideous?

Logan got off the bed and slowly approached her until they were a few centimeters apart. He lifted up his arm and proceeded to tuck a stray piece of Riley's hair behind her ear. "The only problem is how are all the guys in school going to control themselves from kissing you..." Logan murmured before realising what he was doing and quickly took a large step backwards.

Riley felt a weird feeling in her chest, a feeling she thought she could only feel around one person. Millions of butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she felt a blush appearing on her cheeks. "Let's get going then..." Riley picked up her black and purple backpack which was already packed with all her school necessities and they both started to make their way out of the window they had used to escape Riley's parents the other time, since it was faster to get to the Subway that way.

While walking to the Subway, Logan had split his sandwich between the two of them before asking, "Are you ready to face them?" Riley halted, fear clouding her thoughts as she stood there, without saying a thing.

Logan looked at her with concern and just as he was about to dial Josh's number, Riley replied in a small whisper. "I'm not sure I'll be able to do it. Can I go for lunch with you? That's the only time they can confront me..." Riley looked up at Logan with her big doe chocolate brown eyes that turned almost gold like under the lights of the Subway station.

In a heartbeat, Logan nodded his head and a small smile broke out on Riley's face.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"Sugar! I have to tell you something, you might not believe it but-" Zay screeched to a halt after basically dashing to the front doors of the school when he spotted Riley. He stared, long and hard, at the intertwined hands of Riley and the School Rebel. He stared long, twenty one seconds to be precise, at their hands.

To the Texan, it didn't make sense. Riley and Logan. Miss Goody Two Shoes and The Rebel. Princess Dancing Sunshine and Bad Boy.

Snapping back to reality, Zay's eyes enlarged, his mouth hung wide open as his chest rose up and down. A moment of awkward silence fell between them until Riley spoke up, in a small whisper.

"What is it?" Riley asked, her head hanging low to hide the blush forming on her cheeks. Zay stood still for a few more moments before deciding to tell Riley his news. "You know Maya's party to celebrate her art pieces? Well, she and Lucas kissed. After they broke apart, Maya lugged Lucas to your room and being the ever curious guy, I followed them. They were cuddling and kissing on your bed, basically a huge make out session. After that, everyone started piling into your room and somebody spiked our drinks with some alcohol. And then-" Zay rambled on and on but all Riley could focus on was the fact that Maya and Lucas made out on her bed.

'Did they even think about me?' Riley thought to herself but she quickly shook that idea out of her head, determined not to be so selfish. 'They can do whatever they want. The triangle is over, Lucas isn't with me.'

Logan, on the other hand, had anger coursing through him. Red, hot, burning anger filled him to the brim and all he could think about was punching those two good for nothing 'best friends', especially Lucas Friar. Suddenly, Logan felt Riley squeezing his hand tightly. He looked down and his face softened, seeing tears beginning to well up in her eyes and the corners of her rosy red lips tugging downwards.

Squeezing her hand, Logan rubbed circles on the palm of her hand. Immediately, the action soothed Riley and she found herself relaxing from her rigid form. Her mouth formed a tiny smile and she blinked back her tears. 'Thank you' she mouthed to Logan and the male gave a nod in response.

Zay, being the ever completely oblivious guy, continued to ramble. But the peace between Riley and Logan was broken by the shouts of a few people.

"Zay!" A few teens shouted and Logan looked up, only to see Riley's so called 'friends'. "Oh, hey Riles." Maya said nonchalantly, as if Riley was nothing more than a mere piece of dirt. Logan glared at Lucas, who was glaring at him in return. "Why are you holding his hand!" Lucas shouted angrily, the whole hallway coming to a complete silence.

Before Riley could answer, Logan stormed up to Lucas, face to face. His fists balled tightly to his sides, Logan was very tempted to pull back his arm and punch the Texan right in the face but the thought of Riley, kind and innocent Riley, came to his mind.

Instead of initiating a fight, Logan spat, "You don't deserve to talk to her. You don't deserve to breathe same air as her. You don't deserve to be her friend. You especially don't deserve to even talk to her. You, Maya, Farkle, Smackle and Zay. All of you don't deserve her in your lives."

With that said, Logan began to turn back around but was stopped by a fist flying to his face. In a flash, Logan caught Lucas's fists with his hand and gave him a smirk. Applying pressure on his grip on the Cowboy's fist, Lucas's knees buckled before him and the Texan found himself struggling to even stand. Slowly, Logan applied more pressure and Lucas crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Yelling in pain, Lucas cradled his hand as his friends rushed to his side. "Go rot in hell." Logan growled and turned on his heel, walking away from the gathering crowd with Riley by his side.

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 **Aaaand... CUT! Alrighty, that is a wrap for this chapter. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't as good as the others. I was really rushed for time as I have to prepare for my holiday. Please favourite, follow and review! See ya'll in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy ya'll! I'm back again with another update! Thank you for your support and please, please, please favourite, follow and review. Before I start the replies to your reviews, there were a few reviews I read that concerned me. Nonetheless, thank you for your criticism and I will work hard on improving.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **CrazyGirlWhoLovesVamps**

I'm sorry I take so long to update. I just have a lot on my plate so I hope you understand that. Plus, I am only allowed to use my mother's computer for twenty minutes a day. I have no computer of my own, hence, I have to use my mother's computer. Anyway, thank you! :)

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) You will see soon, why Maya is behaving like that. I will also explain why Zay ran up to her first. Don't worry, I'm definitely having Zay and Riley friendship in this story! I ship Rucas and Rogan but I do completely agree that Lucas deserves to get punched. Oh yes, I'm so excited to write Josh's reaction! I can't tell you much but I can tell you that someone is going to be crying, someone is going to get a black eye and someone is going to be guilty. Please read the first review for the reason why I take so long to update please! Thank you! :D

 **Guest**

THANK YOUUU! :D

 **Lolly**

Hahaha, thank you! :) Oh yes, romance is definitely happening... Aw, thanks! I try to improve. I'm sorry if my earlier chapters did not have very good grammar. I'm not as good as the other writers on this website but I try my best. No excuses but I'm below thirteen years old and above ten years old. However, I'll try my best to improve on all my mistakes! :) Thank you for the smiley face, very appreciated! TEAM ROGAN

 **Guest**

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! :D

 **volleyballer82**

Hahaha, don'y worry, Riley will be confronting her friends very soon! Yes, ONE SMALL STEP FROM MAN, A GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND! Okay, I'm getting weird... Also, I may be wrong about the phrase... Yes! Thank you for understanding! Me too. Smackle doesn't talk to her that much (half the time she isn' even on the show), Zay was shipping Lucaya, Maya was getting all chummy with Lucas and Lucas didn't stop the triangle sooner, even though he knew his choice earlier. Hahaha, I agree with you. Thank you, and I hope to get another wonderful review like this from you!

 **PixieDreamer21**

Hahahaha, thank you for loving my OC. Logan is my dream boyfriend/husband. Thank you for understanding why I got Zay to tell Riley. It was his usual weird, talkative way. He did tell all the groups secrets to Charlie, Riley and Maya. (You wanna hear a good Lucas story?/You wanna hear a good Riley story?) Oh, Mr Matthew's class is gonna have drama. Lots of drama. Thank you! :) I love your GMW story, Broaden Her Horizon, as well! It was actually my first ever GMW fan fiction I read and I fell in love with it. You're an amazing writer and I love your writing. I actually reread your GMW story, again and again, just to remind myself that I want to write just like that. Thank you! :) Please look at the first reply to the first review to see why I take so long to update.

 **Anonymous Me**

Thank you for your suggestion! I actually thought about doing a crossover between GMW and PJO/HoO. In fact, I might start working on it soon! Thank you! :)

 **ArabellaRoseD**

Hahaha, me too! Most people would'e thought Lucas was going to win but let's just recap for a second. Logan works out almost everyday at the boxing centre his uncle owns whereas Lucas, well, as far as I've seen the show, he's never actually worked out. Get my drift? (Not the boat drift) Hahahaha. Thank you! :)

 **Kashirama**

The endgame couple is entirely up to ya'll! Riley will be forgiving Lucas (unfortunately) as he actually has a valid reason for the smooch fest he had with Maya. Thank you! :) Oh my gods, it's impossible to choose a favourite! I have tons as well but I think my favourite will probably the main character, Percy Jackson. Leo is probably second place, for being the funny goofball he is and a flaming hot McShizzle. Thank you! :D

 **rebeccas1016**

Daniel. (I know, I know, it's old but that was the first thing that came to my mind! :D)

 **originalguest**

That's weird... Anyway, I read your story already! It was fantastic! Can't wait for your next update. Thank you! :) Oh, Lucaya is not happening, 100%. TEAM ROGAN! Hahahaha, you should get that on a shirt! (The joshaya4ever)

 **ChocolateLover119**

Thank you! :) TEAM ROGAN! Oh, you was drama? I got tons of drama! XD (Crying, Punching, Shouting, Insulting, Roasting, Betraying, etc. It's the whole package! Jk.)

 **Ghost adventure lover23**

Thank you! :D

 **Sanchezashley**

Hahaha, just hold on. You might be going back to Team Rucas. Lucas actually (unfortunately) has a valid reason for having the smooch fest with Maya.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :)

 **LovelyRucas**

Riley will be getting new friends, three in fact. But, she will also be having some of her old friends. I know what you mean. Actually, Girl Meets Her Monster, I think it's kinda Maya's fault. Riley would've never talked back to he mother if he had never seen someone talk back to them. Example, all those times Maya calls them 'weirdos', 'losers', etc. Thank you! :) I have actually kind of planned it out. Sometimes, my gut tells me to write something that wasn't what I planned and it ends up to be quite okay. It's fine! :)

 **Harrypotterwannabe00**

Thank you! :) No, the whole gang is not gonna be the bad guys. I don't like it when people portray Riley as a mean person in fanfictions and I don't plan on doing the same to Maya.

 **laura**

I'm sorry for saying this but if you find this really hard to read, then don't read it. I'm sorry for this rant. If you don't want to be offended, please stop reading here.

Alright, so here it goes. If you find this really hard to read, then don't read it. I have enough criticisms in my life that just adds to my insecurities and I don't want one review to stop me from writing. I'm not sure why, or how people like to read my stories but apparently, they do and that is a big part in my life. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, I get that, but that doesn't mean you say them out loud when you know that same person you're talking to, is completely against that opinion. If you want to ramble about Riley being a selfish and obnoxious girl, fine go ahead. But please, don't do it on fanfictions who love Riley. Even though Riley is fiction, not a real character, she plays a big part in many people's lives. For me, she does. She's my freaking role model. She teaches me to be nice, kind to everyone, even the people who freaking bully her (Missy Bradford). She smiles for everyone, she kept a smile on her face even when she was getting cyber bullied. You know the definition of selfless? Well Riley is freaking that. She stepped back for Maya, to let her explore her feelings for Lucas, she cares so much for her friends, supports them so much, yet they couldn't even support her from the start about her cheerleading? The one thing she's passionate about and they tell her to give up? So don't you dare tell me that Riley is being selfish. You have every right to have your own opinions but listen to others. Do you think that you could handle smiling everyday even when you're getting cyber bullied? Do you think that you could handle the hundreds of rejections from something your passionate about? Do you think that you could keep smiling everyday, even though you don't feel like it? So please, keep your comments, which you know the person you are telling them to will not like, to yourself.

I'm sorry if you found that offensive but please put yourself in other people's shoes.

P.S If you still think what I said was wrong and you still find my story hard to read, then why are you still on this fanfiction?

 **MS**

Thank you! :) I will, don't worry.

 **violet1429**

I agree. Go Team Rogan! :D Hahaha. I love the group too, so much but just hold on, don't be too disappointed in them. They will all make up for it and become Riley's friends again except for Maya, whom I will ask ya'll to vote for whether Riley should kick her to the curb or stay friends. Me too!

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Oh my gosh, me too! I was contemplating whether I should make Logan punch Lucas but I thought that would make Riley mad, cause' she didn't like it when she found out Lucas was expelled due to fighting and we can't have Riley mad at Logan. I know! Can you imagine? Her 'friends' are in the other team and she's in the other. Then once the coach blows the whistle, she starts shooting the balls at all of them! Exactly! Maya's childhood was quite bad but now she's got Shawn, who's Riley's godfather but NEVER took the initiative to talk to Riley. I agree. Riley is their real daughter, but yet they're doing the exact opposite of 'blood is thicker than water'. My best friend is actually kinda like Riley except the whole smiling overtime thing. Thank you! :) Hahahaha, I think we both know that ranting about Riley Matthews is not something we should apologise for.

 **Now that that's done, I would like to thank ya'll for all your support. Also, I may not be able to post a new chapter soon because I will be going on a family holiday for two weeks in Australia! My parents rented a large car but I think they should've rented something bigger because I don't think I can fit two weeks of clothing into a tiny haversack. Anyways, here's the next chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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"Good Morning students. Due to the construction works on the right wing of the building, all 11th and 12th Graders will have to share classrooms with the 9th and 10th Graders. Since all exams are over, all lessons have been cancelled. However, it is still compulsory for all students to attend their regular classes and continue to come to school. Thank you and have a good day." The speakers in the hallway screeched before silence fell over the students.

Soon, everyone was punching their fists in the air and hollering excitedly. No lessons and they could do whatever they wanted to do!

Well, almost everyone.

Riley and Logan stood outside her classroom, hands clasped together. Riley could feel her heart thumping at a million miles per minute. "How am I going to be able to do it?" She blurted out, her body shaking slightly.

"How am I going to face them? Especially since there will be no lessons conducted and you won't be there. They're bound to start piling me with questions about you..." Riley murmured as Logan's eyes brightened when he heard how much he meant to her. "You'll be fine Queen. Besides, who says I won't be there for you?" He winked, a knowing smirk gracing his features.

Without saying a thing, he took out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket before passing it to Riley. Riley skimmed through the letter and when she was done, her eyes widened and a grin, slowly but surely, appeared on her face.

The letter indicated that Logan's classes will be shared with Riley's since they had the exact same schedule. "Thank God!" Riley squealed, hugging Logan tightly. The Rebel chuckled, squeezing Riley back. A loud, fake cough interrupted their moment and they pulled away. There stood Riley's 'friends', each having a different emotion.

Jealousy and anger from Lucas, shock and worry from Maya and Farkle, confusion from Smackle and strangely, happiness from Zay

"Peaches! He's dangerous, don't hang out with him!" Maya warned, gripping Riley's arm and tugging her away from Logan. A burst of sudden confidence came from Riley and she shrugged off Maya's grip on her hand. "He is not dangerous and I will hang out with whoever I like." She stated firmly, returning back to Logan's side.

Silence fell over the group and then, her 'friends' started shouting warnings and accusations about Logan. Logan stood there, his fists clenched so hard till it was white and his face expressionless. Finally, Riley had enough and shouted, "SHUT UP! I don't freaking care what you are all saying about Logan. He's the nicest person out of all of you here!"

Stunned, the group had their mouths dangling open and their eyes wide with shock. "Don't you see Riles? He's changing you! In a bad way!" Maya furrowed her eyebrows, pointing a finger in Logan's direction. Before Riley could open her mouth, Logan stepped closer to Maya and leaned forward, his mouth centimetres away from his ear.

He whispered something nobody could hear and Maya's face turned paler for every word he spoke. Soon, he pulled away and Maya's face was as white as snow. "Got it?" He asked and Maya stood still, fear in her eyes. Turning on his heel, Logan walked into the classroom behind Riley.

"What'd you tell her?" Riley asked, her natural inquisitive personality showing. Logan gave her a smirk as they plopped down on the seats at the back of the class. "Just gave her a warning..." Logan trailed off, shrugging.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Riley stared at her group of friends who were laughing happily, huge grins plastered on their faces. Everyone was laughing except Zay, who would sneak a quick, but concerned, glance at Riley from time to time. She felt her heart shrivel up and being ripped apart into a million little pieces.

They didn't care.

Here she was, queuing up for her food with Logan and her 'friends' were laughing away, as if Riley not sitting with them was perfectly normal. Maybe it was, maybe she was a nothing in the group. She was just another person in the group. Someone useless, too clingy, too happy, too _Riley_. She felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes and quickly, she blinked them away.

Holding her tray tightly, she rigidly walked beside Logan. They headed towards a lunch table hidden behind a pillar, way behind the cafeteria. It was next to one of the large windows that showed a breathtaking view of the school garden.

When they reached the table, Riley noticed there were three people already seated there. She recognised Brandon, the supposed 'bad boy' in her level, and Wade, with his hair now black, most probably his real hair colour.

Who she didn't recognise was the girl.

She had an uncanny resemblance to Wade and was Chinese as well, just like the mentioned male. The only difference was that she had Auburn hair, which Riley could tell was not dyed, and while Wade was tan, she had fair skin. She wore a red sweater dress that reached to her knees and a pair of black tights. Her eyes were black but turned a shade of chestnut brown under the lights.

"Hey Logan! Who's this?" The girl asked, giving a beam in their direction. Riley noticed Brandon's usual frown on his face turned into a small smile. His stern eyes softened and he sighed contently, looking at the girl. Riley matched all the signs together and knew for sure that Brandon, the bad boy, was crushing on the girl.

"This is Riley Matthews, she's in your year." Logan introduced, sitting down with Riley. The girl gave Riley a grin and reached over the table to hold out her hand for Riley to shake. "Nice to meet you Riley! My name's Katherine but you can call me Kitty. All my friends and family call me that!" Katherine shook Riley's hand, not knowing what she said had made many questions run through Riley's mind.

'Am I already her friend?' Riley thought but nonetheless, gave the enthusiastic girl a small smile. Suddenly, Kitty leaned over the table yet again, poking Logan on his shoulder repeatedly. She wiggled her eyebrows, poking Logan relentlessly.

"Why are you doing that? Stop it!" Logan rolled his eyes, swatting away Kitty's hand. Kitty mockingly rolled her eyes back before sitting back down. She then started to talk with Brandon, the whole time her eyes only focused on his face and occasionally flickering down to his lips and back again to his eyes.

Suddenly, she placed her hand gently on top of Brandon's hand, which was on the table. As fast as lightning, Wade shot up from his seat and snatched Kitty's hand away from Brandon's. He then proceeded to squeeze in between the two of them, forming a makeshift barrier between the two of them. Wade shot Brandon a frightening glare and if looks could kill, Brandon would be dead.

"I'm guessing Wade's the overprotective, older brother of Kitty?" Riley whispered into Logan's ear. Logan snickered and answered, "No shit Sherlock." They stared into each other's eyes, both captivated by each other's eye colours that displayed so many emotions they both couldn't read.

"Language Wolverine."

"English, my dear Knicksie."

They both then threw their heads back and laughed, as if there was nothing and nobody around them. They were in a world which only consisted of the two of them, no problems, no insecurities, no worries, nothing except the two of them.

A small smile graced Wade's features as he whispered to Kitty, "That girl is bringing our old Logan back..." Kitty nodded her head in agreement before smacking her older brother on the head. "That reminds me, I'm telling mama you're being overprotective again!" Kitty scolded as Wade sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

* * *

 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter! Please favourite, follow, review and check out my stories on percyjacksonfanfiction .com under the username HeroesOfOlympus. See ya'll in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyyy ya'll! I'm finally back from my Australia holiday! i'm so, so, so sorry for keep ya'll waiting for an update. Anyway, thank ya'll for the reviews. All your reviews made my day. Before I get started on this chapter, here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **naelac**

Don't worry Rucas shipper, Lucas actually has a perfectly good explanation for making out with Maya. Thank you! :)

 **PixieDreamer21**

Hahaha, I actually read it four to five times. It really means a lot to me too! You're one of my favourite GMW writers and I really loved your story. Please write that! I really, really, really want to read that.

Aww, thank you! :D At first I was thinking of only three people in the group but I decided to add Brandon and Kitty. I just thought that Riley should also have friends her age as well in this fanfiction. I can't wait too but I think my hands will probably be dead once I finish writing that part. I myself don't know what Logan said to Maya. I'm thinking whether it should be a threat, Riley's problems or Maya being a bad friend.

Me too! I love ZayxRiley friendship. I just think that they would make such good friends. They could even be BFFs. Thank you! :)

Hahaha, we'll see. This story isn't actually that planned out. I just go with the flow. Hahaha, it would be nice.

Thank you for your patience! :) It does, plus I have to get ready for a new school next year. Where I am, I will be moving to Secondary school which is High School for the Americans I think...? Thank you!

Hahahaha, I don't think you made it clear enough. (I'm joking, I saw that wink)

 **Guest**

Thank you! :D

 **volleyballer82**

Don't worry, once Riley confronts them, it'll be all cupcakes and rainbows! (That's a lie, there's more drama) Me too! Most of my friends ship Lucaya but because they think they have chemistry. Seriously?! Rowan is as good as an Actress as Maya! I feel that's true as well. I mean, Disney did let Rowan star in another show (Invisible Sister) but they did the same for Sabrina, and supported her music career.

I know! I have so many OTPs already in this story. Me too! I was supposed to have an older brother but he stopped growing in my mother's womb so they had to carry out an operation to get him out.

I know! I mean, she's doing all these incredible things like supporting feminism and her Instagram is filled with pictures about helping the world. Sabrina's singing is good though but she's basically singing and dancing. I'm not really sure what else she does, I don't really read celebrity news.

Me too. Rowan/Riley is one of my role models. Riley is my favourite character on GMW. She's so selfless and she always puts everyone before herself. (Well, most of the times)

Thank you!:)

 **originalguest**

Wade and Kitty are sibling goals. Don't worry, you can vote for Riley and Maya to still be friends! Can't wait for your update!

 **Kashirama**

Thank you! :) The end game is all up to ya'll so be sure to vote! If the score is equal, the sequel will be made into two parts. One for Rucas and one for Rogan! Thank you! Leo is so funny and he always makes sure to keep the group's spirits high. That is so difficult... For the PJO, I'll have to say The Last Olympian/The Lightning Thief. For HoO, it'll be The House of Hades/The Blood of Olympus. Yes, I have a few in mind. Thank you again! :D

 **RucasLover**

Hahaha, me too. Farkle, Smackle, Zay and Lucas are definitely going to be friends with Riley. It's up to ya'll if you want Rilaya friendship back!

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Ranting about Riley Matthews should be a hobby. Thank you! :) I love independent, stand up for yourself, Riley Matthews! Farkle, Zay, Smackle and Lucas will be Riley's friends again but it's gonna take a while for her to trust again. Maya being friends with Riley again is up to ya'll. Thank you! :D I think Riley Matthews is just so nice that she'll be friends with everyone and anyone! Except Missy of course. I hate that bully. Maybe that will happen? maybe I might make a little more drama and someone ends up in the Hospital? Australia was so fun! My family mostly stayed in Western Australia, going to the beach, staying in a cottage, living in Perth for a while. It was an amazing Holiday basically.

 **Guest**

Thank you for the suggestion but I love to see all the comments from the Guests reviewers! I won't delete any reviews, bad or good. Sometimes the bad reviews are actually quite helpful criticism. Thank you anyway! :)

 **Siennese**

Me too! Our little ray of sunshine is spreading her wings and flying. Don't worry, I will be writing a Rucas fanfiction quite soon. Keep an eye ut for it! ;) Thank you! :D

 **AlchemyBlue**

Thank you! :D I'll have to plan it out. Thank you! :)

 **Laura**

Hi again Laura. First of all, thank you for your helpful criticism. Second of all, sorry for the last reply. My life was a bit messed up when I wrote that review. I'm sorry if you took offence. And here are the replies to your Riley theories. Is that what it's called? I'm not really sure.

I rewatched Girl Meets Rileytown and I'm so sorry. Yes, she didn't smile everyday. I admit, Maya was a good best friend during that episode. Consoling Riley about her bullying. For that, I'll like to apologise.

However, I still think during Girl Meets Rah-Rah, Riley's friends should have supported her from the beginning. They only supported her at the end but at least they still supported her I guess.

Riley can be selfish sometimes, but isn't that all about being human? We're all gonna be selfish at least once, you can't always be putting every single person's needs before yours. No one has not been selfish at least once in their life. But you see, in the end, Riley gave up the search for her bear and quickly went to get Tacos for everyone and the Bobblehead for Maya. So in the end, I think Riley kinda evened up her selfishness during that episode.

I admit, what I wrote came off the wrong way. What I meant to say was, yes, people can have their own opinions. Sometimes, they may be wrong and that's why they need someone to show them the smarter opinion. So, thank you for showing me that even the nicest people, like Riley Matthews, can be selfish. We're all human, we all have our flaws. Thank you for showing me that. But maybe, please don't take offence to this, you could put it in a nicer way knowing that that person supports Riley Matthews?

I know I was going to get criticism sooner or later, it's all part and parcel of life but maybe you could look from both sides. It's fine if you hate me now but all you need to know is that I'm sorry that I didn't look from your side of things and I'm thankful for you for reminding me that we're all human.

 **Again, thank ya'll so much for your amazing support! Please favourite, follow and review! Without further ado, here's Chapter 8 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

"What is friendship?" Cory asked, standing in front of his class with the students from the 11th Grade. The Core Six sat at their usual seats except Riley sat all the way at the back of the class, Logan on her left, Wade behind Logan, Kitty and Brandon sharing a seat, sitting besides Wade.

Cory pointedly looked at Riley, who looked forward with no expression on her face while Maya looked at Riley in worry. "You do know lessons aren't supposed to be conducted, right?" Logan raised his hand, his eyebrow raised while everyone except for the Core Six nodded their heads.

Racing up to Logan's table, Cory bent down, leaning forward to meet his eyes with Logan's ones. "Listen to me chachi! You don't get to talk! You're a boy. A boy hanging out with my daughter who isn't Farkle, Zay or Lucas. I don't even know you that well. So you listen to me!" Cory pointed at Logan's chest, saying in a non serious way.

Logan shot out of his seat, saluting Cory. "Sir, yes, Sir!" He exclaimed, making everyone stifle their laughter. Cory turned to Riley, a look of distraught on his face. "Why you gotta choose the respectful ones? It makes it so much harder to hate them!" Riley simply turned to look at her father, staring silently at him and in a murmur, asking hisocm to continue his lesson.

"So, Maya! Friendship?"

Maya turned around on her seat to face Riley, giving her a look of sadness but not before shooting Kitty, Wade, Logan and Brandon a glare each. "Friendship means sticking with your friends till the very end. It means being there for them and putting their friend's needs before themselves. Basically being selfless and not selfish."

Logan scoffed and inwardly rolled his eyes. Riley was not even close to being _selfish_ but here was her supposed 'best friend', calling her selfish when she was the one taking all the attention.

The Black haired boy raised his hand and Cory had no choice but to call on him. "That's not what being a friend is all about. Being a friend also means actually noticing when your friend is hurt and their smiles are actually fake. Being a friend means actually _seeing_ if your friend is slowly losing their personality everyday."

He glared daggers at Maya, who glared at him right back. They continued in that position, glaring and adding tension to the room.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day and all the students got their bags, rushing out of the classroom. Riley quickly packed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Hey Sunshine, you wanna go to the movies with us? You can pick!" Wade grinned while taking a red beanie out of his bag, placing it on his head.

Riley looked at her Father who was too busy packing his bag. She nodded her head, a small smile spreading across her face. All their faces brightened up and Riley felt _real_ happiness bubbling up inside her, for making their face brighten up.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Walking into the cinema, the group of 'outcasts' and Riley picked a movie to watch, well, Wade picked the movie. He chose 'Suicide Squad', a movie Riley wouldn't usually watch but it would be a good experience.

Splitting up into two groups, one to get the tickets and the other to get the movie snacks, Riley and Logan queued up together to buy the snacks. While queuing up, Logan asked Riley about anyone else she dated besides Lucas and so, she talked about her failed date with Charlie Gardner.

"Three combo sets, one packet of gummy bears and a packet of seaweed chips." Logan ordered. "Why three sets?" Riley leaned over and asked the boy.

Logan gave Riley a small smile. "One for you and me to share, one for Wade because he's selfish and greedy and one for Kitty and Brandon to share." Logan winked as Riley's eyes widened in surprise, her hand covering her mouth.

"I didn't know you had it in you Wolverine! You're matchmaking Kitty and Brandon together!" Riley gasped, hitting Logan's arm. Logan shrugged his shoulder, a smirk gracing his features.

Just as Riley finished her statement, Wade, Kitty and Brandon came up to them. Immediately, Wade raised his eyebrow, noticing three large drinks and three large popcorns.

"How are we splitting this up?"

Riley and Logan tried to keep a straight face but felt themselves tremble. Soon, Riley was giggling while Logan chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Wade questioned, raising one of his eyebrows.

Riley simply shook her head, and answered, " One set is for you, one set is for both of us and one set is for-"

Before the Brunette could finish, a growl emitted from Wade. "No, no, no!" He turned around on his heel, pushing his Sister and Brandon apart. Kitty furrowed her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest.

Just as she was about to most probably snap back at her Brother, Riley came between the siblings, putting her hands out on both sides. "Let's just go into the theatre now. The movie is starting anyway." Riley commanded.

Wade shot a glare at Brandon before nodding his head. The group headed towards the doors of the cinema, after taking their snacks.

Settling into their seats, Wade managed to squeeze himself in between of Kitty and Brandon, preventing them from sitting next to each other.

"How are we gonna share popcorn?" Kitty asked, placing her hands on her hips, trying to convince her Brother to let her sit next to Brandon.

Feeling an argument about to erupt if she didn't interrupt soon, Riley found a solution to the problem.

"Wade, let Kitty and Brandon sit next to each other. You can sit next to Brandon so if he does anything to your Sister you feel the need to use your 'overprotective Brother' skills, you can do it." Riley suggested, plopping down next to Logan while opening her packet of gummy bears.

Wade narrowed his eyes and looked to Kitty from Riley. Finally, he reluctantly nodded his head and the group finally settled down.

As the movie started, the cinema lights dimmed slowly till it was completely pitch black. Then, the screen lighted up, showing the beginning of the movie.

Looking to her right, Riley noticed Logan opening his bag of seaweed chips. Taking a chip out from the bag, he took a handful of popcorn and placed it on top of the chip. Balancing all the popcorn on the single chip, Logan shoved the combination of food into his mouth.

Letting out a moan of pleasure, Logan turned around to see Riley looking at him with surprise and happiness on her face.

"Did you... Did you just eat a seaweed chip with popcorn?" Riley asked, suppressing a giggle.

Logan rolled his eyes jokingly, a grin on his face. "If you think my combination is weird, how about yours?"

He took a look at what was in Riley's hands. "A handful of popcorn and red gummy bears-" Logan shook his head, peering closer at the gummy bears.

"Wait... They're all red?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Riley blushed, taking a bite of a red gummy bear's head.

"Did you eat that gummy bear's head off purposely or accidentally?"

Riley stammered before fiddling with the sleeve of her sweater. "I only like to eat red gummy bears. I like to bite their heads off first so they feel less pain..." Riley trailed off, still playing with her sweater.

Looking up, Logan felt himself enchanted by her big doe eyes that were many different shades of brown. "It's weird isn't it? Gosh, I'm such a freak!" Riley bit her lip, whispering.

"I think it's a very Riley Matthews thing. And I really like Riley Matthews things." Logan whispered, leaning over and tucking away a stray strand of hair that fell into Riley's face.

Blushing a deep red, both of them stared deeply into each other's eyes, nothing how close their faces were.

Suddenly, a loud shriek was heard and they jolted back to reality. Embarrassingly, it turned out it was Harley Quinn letting out a shriek after getting electrocuted.

As Riley turned to her left to take more gummy bears, Kitty winked at her and Riley swore she saw the Asian's hand clasped in Brandon's.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Engrossed in the movie, Riley sat on the edge of her seat, waiting for the final battle to happen.

While the Squad slowly fell under the Enchantress's spell, imagining all the things they ever wanted, she leaned downwards, so that she could take a sip of the drink.

Coincidentally at that moment, Logan had leaned down as well and as they both reached their straws with their mouth, their foreheads touched.

Looking up, they saw the other person's every feature.

Riley noticed an almost unnoticeable little scar on Logan's chin, somethings he wouldn't have ever seen if she hadn't been this close to him. She wondered if Logan's eyes had always been ever changing, changing from many shades of green to many shades of blue.

Logan, on the other hand, noticed how naturally long Riley's eyelashes were. He felt himself getting lost into her eyes again that had flickers of gold, which matched the many shades of brown as the base.

Both coughing, they quickly parted away but both felt themselves missing their foreheads touching and being so close to each other.

Definitely close enough to _kiss_.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! Please favourite, follow, review and check out my other GMW story called 'So Tired'. I'm so sorry if you found this chapter short but I did try to add fluff. The next chapter will be longer, I might even do two chapters! In the meantime, Merry Christmas ya'll and I hope y'all have an amazing Christmas. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_ **


	9. Chapter 9

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyy y'all! I'm back again with another chapter! Thank y'all so much for your support and Happy New Year! Yesterday I had BBQ for lunch and my dad was cooking it on the grill, so the thing is, the oil from the lamb he was cooking dripped into the fire and all of a sudden, there was a massive amount of smoke and the fire was humongous! We put out the fire but this is not a good way to start the New Year. Anyway, here are the replies to the last chapter!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Anonymous**

I feel that I'm literally going to kill myself from how much fluff I write for Rogan. I love Rucas as well but I really like the thought of Riley and a 'bad boy' who turns out to not be that bad.

I love Riley as well! She's my favourite character on the show. Did you see A Christmas Maya? I stopped at the part where the rest of the group were small pinching her about Secret Santa. I couldn't stand how rude/mean they were to Riley.

I agree with everything you said. But Shawn and Katy are like trying their best to know her, talk to her. They wanted to celebrate Christmas with her but instead, she ran to the Matthews house.

Thank you! :)

Zay will be forgiven first, then Smarkle. That's a pretty good idea and I might use it. If I do, I'll credit you! :D

 **Sanchezashley**

Hahahaha, I kinda forgot about that part. I will use that to guilt trip Maya or Lucas in the later chapters!

 **volleyballer82**

Hahahaha, I'm seriously making Rogan such a fluffy pair. Yeah, she does. I know! I stopped at the part where they all started small pinching Riley cos I couldn't handle seeing their meanness/rudeness. I was so freaking mad when the friends were just agreeing with Zay, saying Lucas was smart for going to Texas. Maybe Lucas had a good reason? I don't know but he should've texted her or something.

Thank you! :D

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Hahahaha... Yeah... I'm so impatient for them to kiss each other even though I'm the author of this story. I'm like Rick Riordan, leaving people on cliffhangers. Lol. :D Riley is certainly going to have a one on one with Kitty, they might even be just as close as Rilaya. I know. I'm making Maya such a little meanie, I feel so freaking bad but I have to have a 'villain' in this story to add excitement. Zay and Smackle will 100% be the first. That's a great idea and I might use it! If I do, I'll credit you! :) Thank you! :D

 **PixieDreamer21**

Hahahaha :) I cannot wait for the story! I agree with you. Maya kinda goes around saying that her Father left her when she was young so she doesn't trust easily. Something like that.

I'm going to die from fluffiness. Seriously, I don't even know why I'm torturing myself like this. I'm so impatient for them to get together. I know, I was wondering if I should add more humour to that chapter. Getting Logan to salute Cory was just the thing. Lol

Brandon and Kitty would make such a great couple though. Kitty's like this little cute child that needs protection from everything bad in this world. Kinda like a kitten. I couldn't have explained it better. Wade is like the older Brother I've never had. Aww, thank you! :) I feel that Riley's already so close to the group but I want them to be even closer. You certainly will!

I can't wait to write that as well. This chapter (spoilers) is Logan preparing to confront Topanga and Cory. Smackle is like half never there in GMW. Like where in the world is she? I know! Lucas took such a long time to tell Riley he chose her.

Thank you! I hope you have a great 2017! :)

Hahahaha, Logan is such a little cutie. :D

 **Kashirama**

Thank you! :D Hahaha, really, thank you so much! Maybe... Aww, thanks! Thank you so, so, so much! :)

 **Svetlana**

I agree, Cory is like fixing everything in their group. Nature (the topic he taught in Girl Meets Ski Lodge) isn't even a History topic! It's a wonder how he's not fired though. But he is an amazing teacher, I'd give him that.

 **Sweetchocolate26**

You're most welcome! And thank you for reading this story! :) Hahaha, thank you! Rogan is so fluffy, I can't even ship Rucas in this story anymore. Happy New Year to you!

 **Ghost adventure lover23**

Thank you! :D

 **originalguest/Joshaya4ever**

Thank you! :) Cory _is_ hilarious, Rogan _is_ definitely cute, Kitty and Brandon _need_ a ship name soon! I will! Thank you! :)

 **Lolly**

You're most welcome! :)

 **Book-lover11189**

Riley Matthews, is that you? Hahaha, thank you! :) Happy New Year to you! :D Thank you so, so, so much!

 **CrazyMarichat**

Thank you!

 **Alright, thank y'all so much for the love! Besides that, here's Chapter Nine of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

"Wade, I think you've led Riley to her doom." Logan said as he dropped his bags onto the floor before starting to box the punching bag in front of him.

"Why's that? I didn't do anything!" Wade protectively said, turning to the black haired boy besides him.

Logan rolled his eyes, taking his phone out of his pocket and passing it to Wade. Wade took a glance at Logan's phone, which showed a conversation between the Brunette and him through text messaging.

"Hey Riley, wanna go get some pizza? No, I'm still in the middle of my Action movie marathon. You've been watching since yesterday night..." Wade read aloud, raising his eyebrow as a smile spreaded over his face.

Logan continued to beat the punching bag, pretending it was Riley's so called 'friends'. Panting, a full swig which made the punching bag fall to the ground, a hole in the material of the bag.

Taking a deep breath, Logan turned to Wade to see him scrolling through his phone, chuckling and wiggling his eyebrows occasionally.

"Wade... What the hell are you doing?"

The Asian simply looked up, shoving Logan's phone into his face. "So, which plan are you using to ask our dear Ray of Sunshine out for the Winter formal?" Wade grinned, Logan's eyes widening as he snatched the phone away from Wade.

Suddenly, a loud shout rang from Logan's phone. "KNICKS FOREVER! LONG LIVE THE KNICKS!" A voice, suspiciously sounding like Riley's came from his phone.

Groaning in embarrassment, Wade smirked, obviously enjoying Logan's discomfort. Crossing his arms over his chest, Wade wiggled his eyebrows, gesturing to Logan's phone.

Picking up the phone, Logan walked out of the Boxing Centre, shivering in the snowy weather since he forgot to wear his jacket on the way out.

"What's up Queen?" He answered immediately, shoving his other hand that wasn't holding the phone into his pocket.

He heard sniffling on the other end of the phone, which made a wave of concern overwhelm him.

"Riley, are you okay?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows, biting his lip nervously.

"My parents want to meet up with me. They're worried I'm hanging with the wrong crowd and that..." Riley stopped suddenly and Logan knew what Riley was going to say next would make him furious.

"They... They're worried I'm hurting Maya's feelings..."

Logan unmistakably let out what sounded like a growl as he curled up his fist tightly by his side before letting out a yell, punching the wall besides him.

Many people who walked by, looked at Logan with a twinge of concern and fear for he had made the wall besides him crack a little.

"I'll be at Josh's place in five minutes. I'll follow you."

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

 _Earlier that day_

Riley leaned forward in anticipation, totally engrossed in the action packed movie being played in front of her.

With Josh's soft bed blanket draped around her, her arms wrapped tightly around a pillow and the pizza she had ordered earlier in front of her, Riley had never felt more comfortable.

Well, maybe that was a lie. The most comfortable she had been was when she had slept on Andrew's bed with Logan, holding her protectively in his arms even though he didn't know a thing about her.

Shaking that thought away from her head, Riley focused solely on the movie, trying hard not to think about a certain Midnight Black haired boy.

It had been two weeks since that lesson in her Dad's class. She remembered how warm and fuzzy she felt inside when he had protected her from Maya's well covered up accusations.

That was feeling she hadn't felt since... Lucas.

And when they had watched 'Suicide Squad', the moment their foreheads had touched, Riley felt a little spark of _Hope_ , a feeling she hadn't felt for a while.

The only thing holding her back from placing her lips on Logan's was the guilt of betraying Lucas and if Logan didn't actually _like_ her and that all those moments she felt were flirty, was just him being nice.

She had no idea why she felt that she was betraying Lucas. Lucas wasn't with her, they weren't dating, they hadn't had a special moment ever since after he chose nobody to be with. Every moment she had thought was special between them, was equally shared with Maya.

A loud ring snapped her back to reality and Riley paused the movie. Grabbing her phone, her eyes immediately widened with shock at the name flashed on her phone and she dropped her phone.

Taking in a deep breath, she cautiously picked up the phone from the floor, contemplating whether she should ignore or answer the call.

'What would Logan do?' The thought flickered in her mind and the thought of Logan made her feel calm again.

Filled with confidence, she pressed the 'answer' button on her phone and she hesitantly placed the phone against her ear.

"Hello? Riley?"

Riley took in a sharp breath as her Mother's voice filled the room. Breathing heavily, she wondered why in the world she had answered the phone.

Gripping the blanket that was previously draped on her, she held it tightly as her breathing got heavier and faster. Squeezing her eyes shut, anxiety and fear coursed through her veins, making her hyperventilate.

'Logan, Logan, Logan...' The thought suddenly went through Riley's mind and she felt herself slowly calming down.

"Riley? Are you there?" Her Mother's voice rang through the phone and she repeated Logan's name like a mantra in her head as she picked up the phone again, placing it against her ear.

"Hi Mum." She answered, praying that she sounded emotionless.

"Riley, your Father and I want to meet up with you. We want to discuss... You hanging out with this new group of friends. I mean, branching out is good! That's expected in High School but these new friends Riley, I'm afraid they're going to be a very bad influence on you. Maya, Lucas and Farkle came over to Topanga's just now and told me about this... Logan boy and his other three friends." Topanaga trailed off and Riley felt a burning, red, hot anger fill her to the brim at the mention of what Maya, Lucas and Farkle did.

"Maya looked concerned honey, she was scared for you and your choice in new friends. She was hurt as well that you had left the group so suddenly and just joined another one. That was a bit of a selfish act." Topanga somewhat complained.

Riley felt guilt overwhelm her. Was she being selfish? Maybe she should have just gone out with the Core Six for lunch or at least tell them that she was going with a different group.

"We'll meet you at Topanga's for Dinner. Just come alone, okay? It's just going to be you, your Dad and me." Topanga finished off and Riley replied with an unsure 'okay'.

The call ended but Riley sat there in shock, one hand still gripping the blanket and the other still holding the phone to her ear.

She wanted to ask somebody what she should do now. She couldn't ask Josh, who was all the way in Germany for a two weeks overseas programme. She actually could ask him but she didn't want to burden him with her problems when he had his own.

Well, Josh didn't exactly tell her he had a problem. She could just see. His figure was more slumped, his eyes were missing their usual spark of joy and he had dark circles under her eyes.

She remembered wanting to ask him why he looked so downcast when suddenly, he had just went overseas with a couple of other students to Geemany without giving her any notice. She was fine with him going overseas but his abrupt disappearance had left her with no adult opinions, something she really needed nowadays.

Taking in a shaky breath, she sat in silence, the only sound coming from her loud breathing, for a while.

Snapping out of her shock, she dialled the first person that came to her mind, the first person she knew when she needed help, she should call.

Logan.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

 _Present Time_

"I came as fast as I could." Logan panted, slamming open the dorm's door, his chest rising and falling fast. Dropping his backpack onto the floor, he sat on the edge of Riley's temporary bed, which was Josh's, and he took her hands in his, just holding hands and sitting in silence.

Logan saw the stoic look on Riley's face and knew she was putting up her walls again, the walls that prevented anyone from seeing her pain, her hurt, her anger, her sadness.

Suddenly, Riley blurted out, "Logan... Could you follow me to Topanga's for dinner with my parents? I... I need the morale support."

Simply, Logan nodded his head, wrapping his arms around Riley and whispered, "Let it out."

And what seemed like the thousandth time since they met, Logan lent his shoulder to Riley, letting her vent out all her emotions. She buried her head into his shoulder as she cried silently, making no sound except for a few sniffles here or there.

With his hands on the sides of her face, he pulled away from the hug and proceeded to wipe the tears all away.

"Come on Queen, let's get dressed and meet your parents. We don't want to be late." Logan smiled sadly as Riley nodded, wiping away the remaining tear stains on her face.

She got off the bed slowly, grabbing some clothes to change into. Making her way to the toilet door, she halted and turned around.

"Logan?"

The boy looked upwards, smiling at Riley.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for being here for me..." The sides of Riley's mouth tugged upwards, making an unsure smile.

Logan approached Riley, holding her hands in his. "I'll always be here for you Knicksie, always."

Riley nodded her head, suppressing a smile and turned of her heel, walking into the bathroom to get changed.

While she changed in the bathroom, Logan walked over to his spare clothes bag that was shoved in Andrew's cupboard. Opening it, he pondered if a leather jacket would help prove to Riley's parents that he was a 'bad influence'.

"Since when did I give a shit?" He asked himself, pulling out a white shirt to change into since the shirt he was currently wearing was drenched in sweat.

Tugging off his jacket, he pulled off his shirt, throwing it into his backpack.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Riley came out, only to be met by the sight of a shirtless Logan.

Their eyes widened as both of their cheeks flushed. Riley couldn't help but admire how chiseled Logan's muscles were and how the sweat didn't help by making them shine under the light.

Whilst she gave him a once over, Logan couldn't help but think how _gorgeous_ Riley looked. She wore a dark purple halter dress that helped show off her hourglass figure, black tights to help keep her legs warm in the chilly weather and a pair of a black ankle boots.

Overall, she looked stunning, as usual, but Logan noticed a very familiar leather jacket being worn by her.

It was his spare navy blue leather jacket that he had left on Riley's bed when he had came over last night.

The heater in the room had broken down and Riley was freezing to death, even with the blanket reaching up to her chin. He had offered, well, actually forced her to wear his jacket. Even though he had walked home freezing, it was totally worth seeing another one of her genuine, blinding white smiles.

Blinking, Logan noticed he had been staring at Riley for a while and embarrassed, he pulled the clean shirt over his head before wearing his jacket over it.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he complimented her, saying, "You look... Gorgeous."

Blushing a very noticeable shade of red, Riley thought he looked adorable while doing that. Thanking him, she grabbed her phone and wallet and they proceeded to make their way to Topanga's, making small talk.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter! Again, thank y'all so much for the incredible support! Please, please, please, follow, favourite and review! Happy New Year as well! Hope y'all have an amazing 2017 ahead of you. I wish y'all the best for this year and the rest to come. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_OfficialHeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyyy y'all! I'm back again with another chapter for Girl Meets Alone and Broken. Before I start replying to all your reviews, I'd just like to say school had started for me so I might not be able to update as regularly. I'm in a new school so new friends, new environment, new insercurities and new problems. I'm actually in High School now (for those living in America) so I have eight subjects to handle instead of originally four. It's quite a big jump so I'm really sorry if I don't update frequently. I will try to update at least once every two weeks. Anyway, thank y'all so much for reviewing, favouriting and following! I've reached two hundred reviews! This is incredible!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **WyattsMommy2014**

Thank you! It really makes my day when y'all say you love my story! :) I am a huge Rucas shipper as well but I can't help but ship Rogan more than Rucas. In this chapter, Riley will be certainly coming out of her shell. Spoiler alert! She stands up to her parents.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :)

 **Guest AB**

Riley will be standing up to her parents in this chapter. Rogan will be getting together at the end of this story. If y'all want, I can write a sequel. She will be showing off her boxing skills in a boxing competition in a later chapter.

 **PixieDreamer21**

Hahahaha, I think I could be Rick Riordan's assistant for cliff hangers but he'll always be the #No.1 cliff hanger writer. I really wanted Riley to kind of draw her courage from the thought of Logan. Hahahaha:)

Wade is like the funniest out of all of them I think. Wade and Logan's friendship is kinda like Riley and Maya's (in the show). Like they both tease each other and are kinda like brothers.

I kinda want Riley to have this feeling of Logan or Lucas. I mean, I don't want her to go through more pain, even if it's in my story but she's always Super nice so I thought it would be logical for her to feel slightly guilty. Yes! Maya was so quick to jump from Brandon (in Girl Meets Class President?), Josh, Lucas, Josh, Zay. Writing fluff for Rigan is seriously going to be the end of me. I think I'm gonna die from cuteness.

Yes! Like in Girl Meets STEM, when all the girls gathered at Riley's Bay window, Riley asked Topanaga for her opinion and she just kinda stood at the door frame, giving a useless piece of information. And when Riley told Topanga about Maya, Topanaga immediately rushed to sit beside them and give real information on STEM.

I make Topanaga, Cory and Maya like so mean in this fanfiction. I'm such an evil person. Ohhhh, you're gonna like this chapter. Spoiler! Logan stands up for Riley.

Unfortunately, it's only Cory and Topanaga. The other five pieces of poop are probably off doing mean, backstabbing things. Except for Zay. Zay kinda ships Rogan.

Aww, thanks. My family was fine but I'm pretty sure my lungs were all black when the smoke started. That's really deep.

Their smackdown is going to be so intense. Probably some punches, a few roundhouse kicks (courtesy of Logan), some roasting and maybe, a black eye. Or two.

 **Hnimaga**

Logan and Riley's kiss is going to be so passionate (even though I haven't had my first kiss yet cos I'm too young).

 **volleyballer82**

Rogan fluff is practically what I live for in this fanfiction. I know, I feel so bad making her go through all this but I have to have drama. And there's going to be even more drama, involving Logan's past. Thank you! :D Josh is having some Girlfriend problems. I won't tell about what exactly but it will be revealed soon... Thank you! :)

 **Kashirama**

Hello again Riley no.2! :) I love your 'yay', it's incredible. Hahahaha, thank you! I do wish it happened in the show but how I portray Topanaga, Cory and Maya is a bit meaner so I feel kinda bad. I feel so bad for making Riley go through all this pain. Thank you! :D

 **Anonymous**

Logan is basically Best Friend and Boyfriend goals. Cory won't be defending Logan in this chapter but he will soon. Logan does actually get into trouble, he gets into fights but for a very good reason. At least I'm not the only one. I can't stand how rude her friends were. That's so true like one of my quirks is that I like to draw something on every form/letter I get. Maya and Lucas won't be showing up. Yes! Shawn is making an effort to celebrate Christmas with Maya and all Maya wants to do is just hang out with the Matthews even though she has her own family now. Thank you! :D

 **Book-lover11189**

I think Rogan is the cutest couple I've ever written for. I like that 'yet' behind. Them together is totally up to y'all but I must say Rogan is most definitely in the lead. Away, thank you! I didn't know I managed to make them seem lie, two perfect puzzle pieces. Riley will be letting out her anger in boxing very soon. In fact, she's going to be in a boxing competition! Thank you! :D I hope you have an amazing year.

 **Sweetchocolate26**

Hahahahaha, Rogan fluff is what I live for in this fanfiction. Awww, it really touches my heart that I'm one of the reason your year started off right. And I thank _you_ for this review! :) Topanaga and Cory is portrayed so mean in this fanfiction, I feel so bad. I always felt in the show, Topanag always showed more love to Maya than Riley. Rogan's kiss is going to be so passionate, I'm probably going to die from fluffiness. I haven't had my first kiss yet since I'm too young, so I'll try my best to write a really passionate kiss. Wade is the Leo Valdez in this story. (Thumbs up if you know who McShizzle is!) Awww, thank you! This review is fantastic and so are you. Have a great year ahead of you!

 **originalguest**

Logan is a perfect example of don't judge a book by its cover. He may look like a 'bad boy' but in fact, he's a little caring sweetheart that deserves so much love! It's up to y'all if y'all want Rilaya friendship in this fanfiction. Personally, I would like to write Kitty and Riley becoming best friends but whatever toots your horn. I feel so sad for Wade. Like, Rogan and KittyxBrandon are so chummy while he has no one. I should give him a Girlfriend. I decided to use Kandon (credits to you!) #Joshaya4ever

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :) I agree with you. Maya's needs are always being put before Riley's. It's so frustrating. It's called 'Girl Meets World' not 'Girl's Best Friend Meets World'. I do like Maya as well its just that sometimes she can me kinda mean. Yes, I do know of one. It's by PixieDreamer21 and it's called 'Broaden Her Horizon' if I'm not wrong. It's really good and I highly recommend it. It is a Rucas fanfiction. Hahahaha, thank you! :)

 **Svetlana**

I love Rogan too. Yeah, it is kinda annoying that I made the rest of the group complain to Cory and Topanga about Riley and Logan.

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Aww, thank you! :) Logan is so protective of Riley and it's just so comforting to write about them. I make Topanga an Cory so evil though. I feel like punching them in their faces. It is. It's not only in this story but in the show as well and it pisses me off how much Cory and Topanga belittle Riley while they praise Maya. Hahaha, Rick Riordan and JK Rowling will always be the TOP cliffhanger Writers. Thanks! :) I can't wait to write spoiler! Girls's night at kitty's house for a sleepover. I know! Most of the fan fictions I read make Riley the villain and Maya the one that chose to be selfless and supposedly, 'give' Lucas to Riley. I like Maya as well but just that I like Riley wayyyyyyy more.

 **Dreamer736**

Thank you! :D Rogan is totally up to y'all. Have an amazing 2017!

 **Lolly**

Thank you! :D I have to admit, Wade is like the boy who would tease the girl he liked and tell jokes in class. I hope you have a great year and that my updates don't suck. Hahahaha:)

Awww, thank you so much! It means a lot to me that this is your Favourite story and I'm becoming your Favourite fanfic writer. Thank you so much!

 **Sanchezashley**

Rogan is basically relationship goals. I will! It feels me with so much happiness to write rogan moments.

 **Anyway, thank y'all so, so, so, so, so much for the reviews, favourites and follows! Y'all are literally the best people ever! Without further ado, here's the tenth chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken. Ten!**

* * *

Taking in a deep, shaky breath, Riley trembled as she stood in front of Topanga's, her hands by her sides, clenched tightly.

Suddenly, a hand brushed against hers before she felt her hand being held by Logan's. Their connected hands filled Riley with warmth, reassurance and comfort. Logan squeezed her hand, which made her relax slightly.

"It's going to be fine." Logan reassured her.

They let go off each other's hand reluctantly, just so that Riley wouldn't have to answer even more questions from her parents.

Walking in together, Riley felt herself slightly smile despite the circumstances. She always loved the smell of Topanga's. The smell of baking and coffee filled the cafes, making her feel comfortable.

Suddenly, she felt Logan nudging her and her eyes shot up to where he was pointing.

He was pointing at her parents.

They were sitting at a booth near to the window, their faces grim while they talked about something. Topanga's hands were flying all over the place and Cory nodded, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'd like to go by myself first Logan. If anything wrong happens..." Riley stopped, licking her lips and continued. "If anything bad does happen, just _please_ get me out of here, okay?"

Logan was about to protest but when he saw the pleading look on Riley's face and how weary she looked, he complied. He didn't want to be another reason for Riley's unhappiness.

Riley gave him a tiny smile and turned around, walking straight towards her parents. When she arrived at the table, she stood there awkwardly, fidgeting with the sleeves of Logan's leather jacket and curling her toes.

She stood there for a solid five seconds before her parents noticed her. Their frowns were quickly wiped off and replaced with a fake smile. "Riley!" Topanga grinned but looked like she was in pain from smiling at her. Cory nudged Topanaga, as if he had noticed the pained looked on her face.

The lawyer shot Cory a glare and faced Riley again, the pained smile on her face. "Come, sit Riley. I didn't know what to order for you so I just ordered a coffee for you first."

Riley couldn't help but play over in her head what Topanaga had just said, that she didn't know what Riley wanted. 'I don't even like coffee...' Riley thought to herself, feeling tears prickling at her eyes already.

She knew it was stupid to cry over something so insignificant but the fact that a Mother didn't know her own Daughter's dislikes and likes was quite unbelievable.

Sitting down, Riley folded her hands under the table, squeezing them tightly.

"Riley, we're very disappointed in you."

The Brunette was shocked to find that sentence coming out from both her parents. Being a disappointment to her parents was the one thing she never wanted to be. She studied hard, helped others as much as she could, all because she didn't want to be a disappointment.

Gulping, she blinked hard to stop the tears from trickling down her face. Biting her inner cheek, a million thoughts raced through her mind for how worthless and useless she was.

"Not only did you abandon Maya at lunch the other day but you also hung out with this group of troublemakers, am I right? And you were actually cheering for the leader from this group while he was beating up Lucas. You even went as far as to _insult_ Maya with the leader. I couldn't believe it when I heard that from Maya. Do you know how much you hurt her? She was crying the whole of last night to me. You know how much Maya's gone through, losing her Father like that. She's always been such a loyal Friend to you, more loyal than you've been to her, I have to admit. And you back stabbed her!" Topanaga rambled, Cory nodding along at certain points of her rambling.

All guilt from this morning was extinguished and replaced with a burning passion of anger. Maya had the decency to lie right to her parents's faces and fabricate such untruthful tales of what had happened in school that day. She could handle Maya lying about her but she could not tolerate the fact that she was making Logan seem like a complete douchebag when he was in fact, a totally different person.

"She lied! Maya's a liar! Logan didn't beat Lucas up, he simply applied force to Lucas's hand!" Riley stood up, her eyes forming tears and her eyebrows furrowed. With her fists clenched at the side, Riley shouted with a trembling voice, "I certainly didn't insult or backstab Maya! I didn't _cheer_ when Logan was apparently 'beating up' Lucas. Who do you think I am?"

"Watch your tone young lady. Maya is right, this Logan boy is a bad influence. He's turning you into this! Shouting at your own parents! We believe Maya and I can't believe you have the cheek to not only shout at us but also call Maya a liar while you're the one lying!" Topanaga shot up, quickly defending Maya.

"You would always rather believe Maya than me, won't you! If you love her so much more than me, your own Daughter, why don't you just replace me with her! In fact, you're already doing it! All you have to do now is sign some papers, adopt Maya and disown me!" Riley screamed, tears welling up in her eyes so all she could see were blurry figures of two people in front of her.

Suddenly, she was gently pulled out of the booth and she felt a hand on her back. Wiping away her tears, she saw Logan standing there and she felt herself shrink backwards at his expression.

He looked furious, his eyes ablaze, his lips in a thin line and his eyebrows furrowed. The usual laid back attitude was gone and was replaced with nothing else but anger. The vein in his neck was popping out as he wrapped one arm protectively around Riley.

"Please don't do anything rash Logan..." Riley managed to choke out and his frown lessened.

Logan faced Riley's parents and spat out, "You must be the _worst_ parents in the world. Riley's a fantastic person and I can't believe how much you prefer Maya than your own Daughter."

By then, the whole cafe was silent except for the loud breathing of Logan from his shouting. Everyone was looking at the four of them, their eyes wide and their mouth hanging open.

Turning on his heel, Logan guided Riley out of the cafe but when they reached the door, Logan turned around, glaring daggers at the two adults. "I hope you have a good day, knowing you just broke your own Daughter's heart."

With that said, they walked out of the cafe, Logan's arm wrapped protectively around Riley.

Once they got out of the cafe, Riley collapsed into Logan's arms, tears started streaming down her face before she could stop them. She let them fall, her lips pressed hard together as her sobs shook her body. She took in deep, sharp gulps of the night air, trying to steady and regain control of herself.

Sadness filled her, overpowering the anger and guilt she previously felt. "Why's this happening to me?" Riley sobbed whilst Logan felt his heart clench at Riley's pain.

Even though he had only known Riley for a short while, he knew that Riley didn't deserve any of this pain. She was kind to everyone, always helped out, got good grades. Overall, she was the perfect child any parent could ever wish for.

She didn't deserve to be stuck in a triangle with her best friend and crush. She didn't deserve to be pushed aside and be replaced by Maya. She certainly didn't deserve to be called selfish or a disappointment.

Logan held Riley even tighter, solemnly swearing to _never_ leave her side or abandon her. "Come on Queen, let's go back to NYU." Logan whispered and tried to move Riley forward as gently as possible but she wouldn't budge.

Without thinking about what he was going to do, Logan scooped Riley up into his arm, carrying her in a bridal carry. With one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back, Riley leaned into his chest, now crying silently.

As he walked away from the cafe, he was not only carrying Riley but all her insecurities, problems and sadness as well.

And somehow, he didn't mind at all.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Shutting the door behind him, Logan sat down gently on the bed, sitting against the front of the bed frame, so that he wouldn't wake Riley up from her sleep.

When they were on the subway, Riley's sobs had quiet ended down and her breathing had once again become normal, meaning she had fallen asleep.

With one leg bent and one stretched out on the bed, he let go off his grip on Riley reluctantly. She lay across his lap, her beautiful brown hair fawned around her, making her look angelic.

Smiling lightly, Logan pushed away a stray strand of hair from her face. Sitting in silence, the hand he used to push away Riley's hair cupped her cheek and the other held her hand.

Logan felt a breath hitch in his throat when Riley snuggled closer to him, her body pressed against the bottom half of his chest and her legs curled up, pressing against one of the sides of his body.

'You don't deserve her...' A voice floated into his mind, making him bite his lip.

"I don't..." Logan repeated, admiring how perfect Riley looked, even though her forehead was creased and her lips were pressed together, most likely having a nightmare.

Logan felt himself being sucked back into his past, the countless sleepless nights, the sharp and shiny blade, the blood, the huge amount of blood and the sound of sirens, whirling in his mind.

Shaking his head, he squeezed his eyes tightly, wanting nothing else but to get those memories out of his head. 'He's gone... He's in jail... He's not here...' Logan repeated in his mind like a mantra, his hands going clammy and sweat forming on his forehead.

Out of an old habit, Logan felt himself reaching over his back to feel the deep lines, most probably faded by now but still red. He could remember the screams of pain and agony, the glass breaking on him and yet, he still looked up to _him_.

The one that caused him and his Mother years of pain. Despite all that, Logan still kept his surname and some objects from his past way back.

He remembered after _he_ was gone, he had been closed up. Quiet, short tempered, getting into fights every day and sneaking out of the house. That was until his Mother remarried and his stepbrother, Andrew, managed to slightly change him back to his old self.

But yet, he still got into the weekly fights and stayed to himself, only openly talking to Wade and Andrew.

And then he met Riley.

The perfect, goody toe shoes, energetic and optimistic girl that he thought life was probably perfect for her. He was sadly mistaken and hearing all the bad things that happened to her, he couldn't help but regret ever thinking her life was perfect.

When he first met her, he was tempted to live up to his reputation, being mysterious, quiet and mean. However, he couldn't help but be his old self and all the old emotions he thought he had lost, like happiness, hope and excitement came rushing back to him.

She brought out the best in him and Logan couldn't help but worry if he was bringing her down with him, being a 'bad influence', like her parents had said.

Soon, Logan felt himself drifting off, his eyelids slowly drooping down and a yawn escaping his mouth. In a few seconds, he too was asleep, his chest rising and falling at the same time as Riley.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! Please review, Favourite and follow! All your reviews mean the world to me and thank you so much even if you don't review and I hope you enjoyed this fanfiction! Before I end this, I have a question for y'all. What do you think happened to Logan in the past? It's something quite serious and has happened to someone close to me before. It's really sad and goes against everything about a family relationship. Anyway, review below what you think happened to Logan! See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyy y'all! HeroesOfOlympus here, after such a long time. Im so sorry for not updating soon enough, High School has been such a huge jump for me. From four subjects to eight subjects, I have to handle a third language as well. Anyway, thank y'all so much for the amazing support. I cannot believe all the reviews, they seriously make my day. Please review, favourite and follow. Before I start, I'd like to wish all my fellow Chinese (not Asians, that includes Indians. I hate it when people just categorise Chinese/us as Asians and where are the Indians, Malays and the rest of the Asian countries supposed to go? Sorry for the ramble) a Happy Chinese New Year! Hope you have a prosperous new year! 我祝福你：** **一帆风顺,** **二龙腾飞,** **三羊开泰,** **四季平安,** **五福临门,** **六六大顺,** **七星高照,** **八方来财,** **九九同心,** **十全十美! Anyway, here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Maiya**

Awww, thank you! :) Rogan is my OTP. I'm seriously shipping them so hard. I'll try my best to update as often as I can!

 **RucasLover24**

That's so sweet! :D Thank you! Sure! Lucas will definitely apologise. He will not end up with Maya, no matter what. He will either end up with Riley or be a single man forever. Hahaha, I can tell. I ship Rucas a lot as well. The end ship is up to y'all! There will be a voting for the end ship in the second or third last chapter. I'll be making a sequel if y'all want. If the votes are even, there will be two different sequels for each of the two. Yes! Uncle Josh will be coming in at the next chapter. I miss writing him as well. I'll try my best to update! Thank you! :D

 **Bri**

Aww, thank you! :) I know how it feels like to be pushed aside for another person. That's actually what's happening in my life as well. If it is happening to you, I just have one thing to say. It will get better. Find your true friends, have a heart to heart conversation with your parents and the friends who are pushing you aside. Just don't do what I did, keep my emotions bottled up. I'll try my best to update as often as I can and if you need someone to talk to, I'm here. :)

 **RucasLover24**

Hahaha, I just replied to your latest review. I reply to all the reviews actually, even the ones without (REPLY) because it's seriously not a chore to do so. You're most welcome! :)

 **volleyballer82**

I died when I was writing the Rogan fluff. They're just so adorable together. I'm really sad that Girl Meets World is ending but I agree with what you say. It was getting worst by the season, with Riley being pushed aside, the whole Love Triangle fiasco, Riley and Topanga getting angry with each other. I felt that all the Seasons were great but season 1 was the best. I agree with what you say. Aww, thank you! :)

 **RucasLover24**

You're seriously too kind, thank you! :D The ending ship will be up to y'all, like I mentioned in the reply to your latest review at the top. Lucas does have an explanation. Hahaha, I will have quite a number of chapters as I will be touching on abuse, racism, bullying and etc. I'm really sad as well. I just watched the last episode and I'm so glad that Riley isn't moving to London after all. I will definitely. I really love your reviews! It's okay if you're too busy. Hahaha, I'll try my best. I have a lot of new subjects to handle but I'll try my best.

 **Marilove24**

Hahaha, I do want to punch them as well. I feel so bad portraying Riley's 'friends' and parents so badly. I am a huge Rucas shipper as well. Hahaha:) They're seriously relationship goals though. Thank you! :) Every single review makes my day and it really means a lot to me that you went through all my ten chapters.

 **Guest4646**

Riley and her parents will have a relationship again. Aww, thank you! :)

 **Ghost adventure lover23**

Thank you! :)

 **Jolly**

It will happen soon with a Herat to heart conversation with Josh, then Logan, then Riley. Aww, thank you! :) It's is good isn't it? It's an amazing fanfiction. You're seriously too kind, thank you! :D Things will end up well for them even if Rucas wins the voting. Yes, I agree. It's seriously so frustrating to see Riley being belittled and pushed aside during the episodes. Everything is seriously about Maya so much. I mean, Riley does get moments where people choose her over Maya but most of the time, it's Maya this, Maya that. Okay, Riley's new friends are seriously so cool. Kitty is this little ball of innocence, Brandon's the one who's all dark and mysterious to everyone except to Kitty, which is adorable, Wade is that cool funny dude everyone wants to be friends with and Logan is just wow. Yes! Riley always believes in her friends like she believes they can have their art work up, they can ride a bull, they can join the Science club but when it came to her and cheerleading, they all just told her to "Give up" and "I just want to see you 'survive'" Cos seriously, what was that?! Yes! I'll try and find that fanfiction, it sounds interesting. Thank you! :D

 **monkies2004**

Aww, thank you! :D I'll really try my best to update as often but I'm juggling with a new school, new environment, new friends and new teachers. I have nine subjects now instead of four but I'll really try my best, so please don't hate me if I don't update as often. Thanks!

 **Sweetchocolate26**

I feel really bad for making Cory and Topanga choose Maya's side. I just needed that to happen in order for a later chapter where they get a good slap in the face from reality when Josh confronts them, then Logan confronts them and finally, they realise what they've done. I'm so proud of my boy, Logan. He really restrained himself from straight out shouting at her parents, which is really difficult for him. I love that too. I feel so bad for writing that part but I need that so when he tells Riley about his last and that voice, she's just Super understanding and holds him while he cries. Yes! He will definitely tell her although it may be a bit later. Thank you for both! :) I will try my very best to update as often. Hahaha, that will really be appreciated. Thank you so much for being so understanding! :D

 **PixieDreamer21**

YES! I loved writing that part when Riley stood up for herself. It's really a huge jump for her since she always just agrees with what everyone else says before voicing her opinion. I felt so bad writing that part but I really need the drama so that Topanga and Cory can get a good old slap in the face from reality and realise how horrible they've been. I agree though. Riley is such a a amazing Friend and I seriously don't think that Maya was trying to protect Riley when she went out with Lucas. Hahaha, I love writing Riley as this sassy person. Oooh, that sounds like a good idea! Logan is such a. Little cutie, I just fall in love with him even more with every chapter I write. I will be writing further in depth about Logan's past in later chapters. Aww, that means a lot! I really try to make my characters more realistic because I know everyone has a flaw and I'm really considering what flaw I should give Logan. Thank you! :) Hahaha, I'm addicted to writing Rogan fluff. Josh is coming back in the next chapter. That sounds like a good idea as well! :) Awww, you're seriously too kind. Thank you for taking your time to read this! :) Hahaha, Logan is so lovable.

 **LittleMissBookwormBrainiac**

Aww, thank you! :) This really made my day and I can't thank you enough for writing this.

 **Emilia B**

Aww, this is so sweet. I don't know what I did to deserve this. Thank you so, so, so much! :D Riley will become more independent in later chapters but Logan will kinda be like her cornerstone. I agree. Topanga is always saying what a fierce Amazon warrior Maya is but when it comes to Riley, she just says her shirt is nice and she sleeps well, which is really infuriating. Hahaha, I got it. It made sense. Logan is such a fun character to write about. I agree, Riley was too perfect in the show. We're all human, everyone has a flaw, no one is perfect. Aww, thank you! :) This review is incredibly sweet and made my day! Logan didn't say envy thing too serious to Maya. He didn't like threaten her or something, in fact Maya was probably over reacting, as usual. He won't, don't worry! It's quite the opposite in fact. As you know, Riley hates people keeping secrets from her and Logan is actually trying to hide his secret but it comes out anyway. I won't ruin the story but your guess is heading in the right direction. It's really fine! I reply to all the reviews because I seriously enjoy replying. This was definitely not a waste of time. I love reading all your reviews and constructive feedback! I will always reply, no matter what. Thank you for reviewing and it certainly wasn't a bother, it was quite the opposite! :D

 **Lolly**

Rogan is super cute together. They are both each other's shoulder to cry on and the person to confide in. If this is seriously happening to you, I just have to say it will get better. Find your true friends or have a serious talk with your current friends that are pushing you aside. If it's your parents, talk to them. Tell the, how you feel. Don't bottle up your emotions like I did. You'll feel like your soul is slowly dying day after day. If having a talk with the, sounds too overwhelming, find something you love to do and just take time to carry out that hobby everyday. Thank you! :) Brandon and Kitty's ship name is Kandon. Thank you! And if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here.

 **Guest**

I love Logan too. If he's a keeper, then Riley is a goal post and Lucas is a quaffle/chaser. Oh my gosh, that's seriously so lame and I'm so sorry you had to read that. In all seriousness, Logan is definitely a keeper.

 **originalguest**

I feel so bad for writing that! It's a slight AU but it is based on all the episodes I've seen. If you read into each episode, most of them are about Riley being pushed aside for Maya. Hahaha, we'll have to see during the voting. I seriously love how much you ship Joshaya, it's really fun to read your ever famous quote which is #JOSHAYA4EVER

 **CrazyMarichat**

Oh, she's gonna cry all right. She's gonna be bawling actually.

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Thank you! :) I was really uncertain if I should have Logan with an abusive past because it's a really touchy subject, but I'm glad I did. It really is but my Friend is fine now. Her mum divorced the Father last year and my friend is really happy now since her mum is seeing another guy who she has met and he's nice enough. I don't want to spoil the story for you so... Anyway, Logan is really such a sweetheart. It wasn't just humiliating for Riley. If that happened to me, I would be heartbroken to hear that I was a disappointment to my parents. Riley is already being herself actually with Logan. That sounds like a really good idea! The sleepover will be before the Winter formal. Kitty and Riley will really bond together, in fact, they'll become best friends. Kitty's family will actually be at an award ceremony where Riley has won a prize. That's exactly what I thought! I'm sad that Girl Meets Wolrd has ended but truthfully, I'm okay because the episodes were getting worst, like the lack of Rucas, Maya being the centre of attention again but the last episode was a nice closure. It was nice to see Maya getting adopted by Shawn, the old cast coming back and Riley not moving to London in the end. Hahaha, they should become co Writers, they'll be leaving us on cliffhangers at every single chapter. Yes, I totally agree. Hahaha, your rants always make perfect sense. Are you in the debate team? Cos I wouldn't be surprised if you were, you're really good at convincing. I actually have nine since my score was high enough to learn a third language. Thank you! :)

 **AlchemyBlue**

Thank you! :) The ending couple is all up to y'all once it's time for the votes to come in. I actually ship Rucas in the show but I love Rogan in this one.

 **Guest AB**

Riley and Kitty will become best friends. It's up to y'all if you want Rilaya friendship. She will be putting everyone in their place. Farkle, Smackle, Zay and Lucas will become friends with Riley again but it's up to y'all if you want Maya to become friends with Riley again.

 **RucasLover**

I seriously hate Cory and Topanga both in the show and in my fanfiction. Maya is a female dog, isn't she?

 **twilightvamps**

Logan will be jealous soon!

 **Now that that's done, I'd just like to say a huge thank you to all of you! All your reviews seriously make my day and I'm really greater ul that y'all actually spent some time to review this story. Y'all are incredible people and I don't know how I deserve this support! Anyway, here is the eleventh chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

Riley's eyes fluttered open and she squinted at the light shining from the ceiling lights. Groaning, she buried her head into her pillow, squeezing her eyes as tight if she could, thinking it would help her go back to being asleep.

It had been a week since her confrontation with her parents and to say she was constantly replaying the series of event over and over in her mind was an understatement. She remembered waking up the next day, spreaded out on Logan's lap and her eyes red and puffy from crying.

She had dreaded going back to school, seeing Maya, Lucas, Farkle and Cory again. Thankfully, luck was on her side for once and there was a major snowstorm. The snowstorm was still going on and Riley could hear the loud blowing of the wind outside the dorm. Everyone was trapped in due to the snowstorm but there were frequent visits from trucks bringing in food for the NYU students.

Looking to her right, Riley noticed Logan laid out on Andrew's bed and she took a double take when she saw what Logan was wearing.

Well, more like what he _wasn't_ wearing.

Logan was shirtless, Andrew's blanket draped only over the bottom part of his body and the shirt he had worn last night to sleep. His chiseled six-packs seemingly glowed under the lights and Riley felt herself gulp.

Suddenly, she heard Logan muttering and he was soon thrashing around in his bed, the blanket fallen off the bed and onto the floor.

As quick as lightning, Riley rushed to Logan's side, kneeling on the floor next to him. Shaking his arm, Riley shouted into his ear. "Logan! Logan, wake up!" She screamed, terrified and worried at the expression on his face.

Tears were streaming down his face, his eyes squeezed tightly together and his lips curled back into his mouth. His eyebrows were furrowed and he muttered under his breath, his hands clutching onto the bedsheets, pulling them.

Suddenly, he jolted up into a sitting position, his back slamming against the bed frame. His eyes were wide and filled with terror, his mouth parted slightly and he breathed heavily.

"Logan?" Riley asked, sitting herself down quietly next to Logan.

The said boy stared straight ahead, as pale as a ghost. He sat there, breathing irregular breaths and his tear strickened face filled with terror.

Immediately knowing what was happening, Riley sat down gently besides Logan, pressing the side of her body against his. Feeling the floor for the blanket, she pulled the blanket up and laid it over both of them.

Slowly, she took Logan's hand in hers, holding it carefully as if it would break any moment. She brought their intertwined hands from underneath the blankets to on top.

Rubbing circles on the back of his hand, Riley began to sing softly, her beautiful voice floating around the room, filling both their ears with comfort and bittersweet happiness. She sang the song, with every fibre of her body and she pushed all her emotions into the song.

Once she was done, she looked to her side and saw Logan looking at her with the most amazed look on his face. "That... Was incredible..." Logan said, completely stunned and his breathing pace back to normal.

Riley blushed deeply, waving her other hand. "It wasn't that great." She humbly said, fidgeting.

Logan gave her a look of utter disbelief and shook his head, disagreeing with what she had just said. He knew Riley was humble but she shouldn't tone down what she just did.

"Queen, I think you found your talent."

Riley's head shot up, a small genuine grin on her face. "Do you really think so? I've never had a talent before." Riley felt happiness bubbling inside of her but it was quickly pushed down when she thought of the time where her Mother told her that she had a talent in sleeping.

Shaking that thought away from her head, she turned to Logan and bit her lip, unsure if she should ask him the question that she wanted to ask.

"Logan... What were you dreaming of that made you get a panic attack?" Riley asked, cringing when she realised how insensitive she sounded.

"I mean, you don't have to tell me! I just... I want to help you but I can't if I don't know what it is..." Riley rambled but was silenced by Logan when he cut her off.

"I... I'd rather not tell you about it Riley. I promise I'll tell you but just... Not at this moment..." Logan blinked the tears welling up in his eyes away but couldn't help but let one trickled down his face.

Quickly, Riley wrapped her arms around Logan and gently drew circles on his back. "Let it all out." She whispered and soon, tears were falling down Logan's face, splattering onto the bed sheet. His head laid on the shoulder of Riley as she continued to sing to him, holding him tightly.

They continued in that position for a while before they pulled apart, both of them immediately missing the touch of the other person.

"I'll be here for you Wolverine. Always."

Logan felt his heart lift up and filled with happiness. That was the most comforting thing anyone had ever said to him and he was Riley said it. It was proof to that tiny voice in his head that she _did_ actually care for him.

And he couldn't have felt happier.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"I've just realised something..." Riley said while Logan and her were lying flat on their stomach on Andrew's bed, watching one of the 'X-Men' movies.

Logan raised one of his eyebrows, gesturing for Riley to continue. "The day of the confrontation was the twenty-third of November, the snowstorm's went on for two weeks and we have three weeks of December Holidays..." Riley trailed off and with a jolt, Logan got up from the bed, his legs going under him, making him kneel.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve!" They both shout together, looking at each other with disbelief.

"Josh is coming back tomorrow as well!" Riley realised, dashing over to the calendar pasted on the wall, her finger trailing down the dates until Christmas Eve. Written in the box was 'JOSH COMES HOME' in Riley's handwriting and scribbled underneath was 'Andrew too' in Logan's handwriting. Riley gave a little gasp, her hands covering her mouth.

"Let's surprise Josh and Andrew by decorating their dorm for Christmas!" Riley grinned, her bliding white teeth shining under the lights and made Logan's heart flutter.

Nodding his head, they both grabbed their jackets and with their hands brushing against each other's, they walked out the dorm, their bodies pressed together side by side.

They crossed the road over to the little pop up shops that lined the streets, the sun beginning to set, creating a beautiful scenery with the vibrant colours of red, orange, yellow and a tinge of pink.

Logan looked over to Riley and felt his heart beating a thousand times faster. She looked flawless as usual even though she didn't put any effort. The colours in the sky brought out those specks of gold in her eyes and her luscious brown hair of different shades was lighter, brighter.

Riley, on the other hand, was oblivious to Logan's staring. Talking rapidly about her love for Christmas, her hands waved wildly in the air, her curls bouncing as she talked. Her eyes sparkled with happiness when she talked about her favourite holiday, her infectious grin making Logan smile back widely.

Pushing open the door of a shop, they looked around in fascination at the twinkling Christmas lights, the smell of freshly baked cookies, the warmth from not a heater but a _real_ fireplace and the familiar Christmas pine tree smell.

"Hello my dears! Please, help yourself to some of my freshly baked cookies!" An old lady behind the counter smiled, gesturing to an enormous plate of cookies in front of her. She had a strong Texan accent and if that wasn't a dead giveaway, there was a sign on the counter that read 'Texan and Proud'.

She had hair as white as the snow on the ground outside, her wrinkles not making her look older but somehow, happier and her chestnut brown eyes shined

with joy.

Logan and Riley's stomachs growled ferociously and they looked at each other, their eyes wide and their mouths slowly spreading out into a teasing smile.

"Hungry much Knicksie?" Logan teased, poking Riley on her arm.

Throwing her head back, Riley's trademark melodious laughter filled the shop and if it was even possible, the old lady and Logan smiled even wider.

Walking over to the old lady, they gave her a polite smile and took one cookie each. Logan popped the whole cookie into his mouth, moaning in pleasure and licking the crumbs off his fingers. Riley, on the other hand, broke it into two smaller pieces and chewed one of them slowly.

Her eyes lit up as she swallowed the cookie down, her eyes darting to the old lady standing in front of her. "Grandma Gandy?" She asked, looking at the lady's dark skin that was similar to Zay's.

"That's my name dearie, don't wear it out." She chuckled, a smile spreading across her face. "And who may you be?" She asked, her head tilting to her side slightly.

Riley couldn't resist grinning, her hand reaching out to shake Grandma Gandy's hand. "I'm Riley Matthews, I know your grandson, Zay Babineaux. He's my classmate and friend. And I'm really sorry for saying your cookie wasn't good..."

Grandma Gandy's mouth was pulled inwards to form an 'o' and she took Riley's hand in hers, eagerly shaking it. "I can't thank you enough for making my grandson feel welcome. And it's fine, Zay told me all about you and I know you only said that in the heat of the moment." They smiled at each other just as a loud thud came from the ceiling above and footsteps were heard coming down from the staircase behind the counter.

"Grandma Gandy, are the cookies done-" The voice stopped short when he was met by the sight of Riley and his Grandma shaking hands, and Logan taking another cookie from the plate.

"Zay!" Riley's smile faltered but she quickly composed herself, giving him one of her trademark grins. As fast as lightning, Zay rushed past his Grandma towards where Riley was standing.

Wrapping his arms around her, his hands were on the back of Riley's head as he pulled her closer to him. "I'm so, so, so sorry Riles. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings by always teasing about Maya and Lucas being together. I didn't mean to choose Maya over you. I didn't mean to do all of those hurtful things." Zay babbled, his eyes shut tight while Riley's hands dangled at her sides.

Soon, the pair collapsed onto the floor, their arms on the other's shoulders and their foreheads touching. Tears streamed down Riley's face, blurring her vision so that she could only see a blob in front of her.

"I realised what I've been doing ever since I met you Riles. I've been so hurtful without even knowing it. I reflected over what made you leave our group to hang out with another and it took some time but I now know how horrible I've been. Riles, I'd do anything to have Maya as my friend but for you, I'd do _everything_ to have you as my friend."

Sobbing, Riley wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Nodding her head, she managed to choke out a sentence that immediately brightened up Zay's day. "I forgive you. I'll always forgive you."

The pair got up slowly, trembling slightly.

Zay trembled because he couldn't believe how forgiving Riley was. He had caused her a part of her pain but yet, she forgave him just like that. He thought to himself that he didn't deserve to have such a wonderful friend like her. Knowing that Riley forgave him was a huge burden off his shoulders since she was the one that made him feel welcome in New York, a new and totally different country.

Riley trembled because she couldn't believe that she had one of her old friends back. Although both of them weren't as close as the rest, they had many things in common such as a wacky sense of humour and being loyal to their friends.

"Now that that's settled," Grandma Gandy raised an eyebrow, rubbing her hands together. "How about Zay show both of you around the shop?"

Riley and Zay nodded their heads but Logan stood off at one side, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared intently at Zay, suspicious of his intentions. Crossing his arms over his chest, he walked over to the two of them and tapping his finger on Zay's shoulder, the boy turned around to see Logan glaring angrily at him.

"May I have a word with you? Don't worry Queen, I'm not going to kill him." Logan said, grabbing Zay by his arm and pulling him after him whilst he walked out the door of the shop without waiting for an answer.

Cold air blew into the shop but it went as quick as it had come, due to Logan slamming the door behind him.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Riley resisted the urge to go after them. She knew Logan would never hurt Zay since Zay was the one who had caused the least amount of damage to Riley.

"Cookie?" Grandma Gandy offered, holding out the plate.

She didn't look a slightly bit bothered as she munched on a cookie, looking at Riley. Nodding her head, Riley took a cookie and decided to walk around the shop to find some Christmas decorations, praying that Logan wouldn't kill Zay.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Please review, Favourite and follow, especially review! Grandma Gandy is so cool, she reminds me a ton about my Grandma. Anyway, the next chapter will be Zay and Logan's confrontation and Christmas Eve. It'll be an extra long chapter to make up for how less often I'm updating. Before I finish off, I'd like to wish all Chinese a Happy Chinese New Year! I hope y'all have fun collecting your ang paos, seeing the lion dances, eating Chinese New Year snacks and I hope you have an amazing year of the Rooster ahead of you! I know that I'm definitely going to enjoy Chinese New Year. My Mum has planned out a barbeque, a pineapple tart baking session and a Harry Potter movie marathon for our family time during the times we aren't at other people's houses. Anyway, see y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	12. Chapter 12

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyy y'all! It's HeroesOfOlympus. I'm really so, so, so incredibly sorry for taking so long to update. I'm not trying to make excuses but I'm really struggling right now. My school work has been too much, my parents have been asking me why I can't be more like my Sister, I have my exams and I think my Best Friend and I are falling apart. Anyway, enough about me, I should just start the story. Here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Lolly**

Are you okay? If you need anyone to talk to, you can tell me. If you were rejected by someone, just remember that your soulmate is somewhere out there. You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are intelligent. You are important. You are loved. I'm really heartened by the fact this fanfiction makes you happy. Thank you so much! :)

 **Guest**

Thank you so much! :)

 **RucasLover24**

2nd comment:

Aww, thank you for reviewing again! Thank you so much! I really love Ziley friendship, it's so unappreciated. I'm actually fine with every ship except Lucaya. Exactly! I mean their friendship could've been so much more! They could have been playing pranks on Lucas since it's his Best Friend and Girlfriend or they could be exchanging embarrassing stories about Lucas. I think you did but it doesn't matter because it's so true. Hahahahaha:D Thank you really, so much. She won't be going back to school yet. This chapter is Christmas Eve, next chapter is the second part of Christmas Eve and the next is obviously Christmas. After that it should be back to school. Umm I'm not exactly sure yet as this fanfic will be exploring many issues but Lucas will explain himself after New Year's Day, at least that depends how the story pends out. Hahahaha, yeah. XD Read on to find out if Josh will be present... *wiggles eyebrows* I do ship Joshaya but I also ship Zaya so... Exactly! That's what I think as well. Yoby is so cute! I can't believe they didn't make a couple appearance in season 3. Thank you so much! :D I will not stop writing GMW Fanfiction. I live writing so this is a hobby of mine and that people actually read my stories is a bonus. A huge bonus. The show was the only show I actually watch nowadays besides arrow and the flash. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. :)

1st comment: Thank you so much for writing a review! Aww, thank you for the compliment but I don't think I'm the best. :) Thank you so much! :D I'm literally beaming from ear to ear right now because of this review, literally this made my week. I will do a sequel, like I said in earlier replies but it depends if I actually have enough time. It's fine if you lean towards Rucas. Really? Thanks, you're so understanding! Rilaya friendship is totally up to y'all, voting will be in a later chapter. I definitely know what you're saying. Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes to all three statements. I will be doing a ton of chapters, like a crazy ton so... Yeah. Like enough chapters to make a book. Lol.

 **Lolly**

First of all, thank you for posting two reviews. I replied to your latest one but I'll reply to this one as well. Thank you so much! :D It's okay, sooner or later they'll realise how incomplete they are without you. If you ever feel unappreciated just remember that somebody living miles away from you appreciates every word you say, appreciates your personality and appreciates you, and that's me. :) Your hobbies are really cool! Oooh! I love the PJO and HoO series. Have you read the Magnus chase series? The second book is so good, Rick Riordan's writing are goals. It's your first? Welcome to the PJO, HoO, ToA and MC fandom! If you want anyone to talk to about these books, don't hesitate cos I'm ready to unleash my inner fangirl! :D Yes, that's exactly what I'm gonna do. She's going to get close to kitty and wades family. Again, if you need anyone to talk to, I'm here.

 **Bri**

Hey! Aww, thank you so much! :) Logan and Zay bromance is coming up. Ohhh, she's gonna tell him in the next chapter and it's gonna get heated. Josh might throw a vase. Or a lamp. Or a plate. That's fantastic news! I really hope this year will be great for you and your families and friends will know how amazing you are. Thanks. There's recently been a lot of pressure on me though. Expectations and all. But I will get through this and I hope nothing majorly bad happens to you again.

 **Guest**

THANK YOU! :D

 **PixieDreamer21**

I know! The fluff is just too much for me sometimes. They are Best Friend goals, relationship goals, crush goals. I wonder why I torture myself like this sometimes. Yes! I really wanted to convert that message but I didn't know whether I got that through. I've read a story where Riley could sing but kaya could sing as well and as usual, Maya chose the song, sang lead whilst Riley stayed in the background, singing softly. :( Yes! Hahahahaha:D I realised I wasn't using the nickname 'Wolverine' enough so I'll just ad a truckload of wolverines into this fanfic from now on. Grandma Gandy is like the coolest grandma, literally so cool. She just stands there, asking if Riley wants more cookies after seeing the look of absolute fear on Riley's face, murderous glare on Logan's face directed to her grandson and her grandson getting dragged out by a guy with so much muscles and the latter wanting to kill her grandson. So calm. Hmm... I don't know. Read to find out. *wink wink* Ziley friendship is unappreciated but it's an amazing friendship. That sounds like a good idea! Thank you! :D Hahahahahaha, but I bet everyone knows who's gonna win and who's gonna play dirty. ;) HAHAHAHAHA Nah it's fine, fictional characters are always the best bf/gf. Oooh... underage relationship? How's that going? I'm literally laughing and smirking now. I'm smaughing. Lairking? I'm so cringey sometimes XD

 **Svetlana Vasilic**

Thank you! :) There will be a voting in a later chapter for Rilaya friendship or no Rilaya friendship. Yeah, it's toxic and yeah, Riley deserves better.

 **Guest AB**

There will be a voting in a later chapter for Rilaya friendship or no Rilaya friendship.

 **Devin**

Yaaayy and I love you! :D thanks so much!

 **Guest**

Updated! :)

 **Guest**

Aww thank you! :)) Right in this chapter;) meet the girl in this chapter with fighting and shouting and crying.

 **Emilia B**

Hey again! :D High School is going okay but the school workload had been insane, the exams are difficult and I'm trying to cram useless facts into my head that I will never use later in life. Thank you for writing a review in the first place! :)) Your review really made my week. Aww, thanks! I just love to reply to reviews cos I don't think reviews should be ignored when that person took time to think through what they were going to write and post it. Thank you so, so, so much! :D this really made me super happy. Hahahaha but maybe sometimes it's my writing? I don't know, I try to not feel insecure but I just can't help it. I'm very insecure about myself from my head to my toes. He will confide in her after that but for now he doesn't want to because he kind of feels like a Monster. Like its his fault his Father is in jail, his fault he couldn't protect his Mother and his fault for getting beaten up in the first place. Thank you for reviewing! :)) That really warms my heart to know I made an affect just by a reply. Thank you for everything! :D I'll always reply, no matter what so don't feel awkward! :D

 **volleyballer82**

Aww thanks! :)

 **Sanchezashley**

That might come soon but it won't result in them being Boyfriend and Girlfriend sadly as I have to add drama and tension to this story.

 **Guest**

Thank you! I know, I was really devastated when I found out GMW was being cancelled. :( I did watch the last episode and I'm so glad Riley didn't move to London! Sorry if you haven't watched it yet and I just gave spoilers. Thanks! :D

 **Sweetchocolate26**

Rogan is just so comforting to write. Hahaha, it's beautiful to write as much as to read. Me too but unfortunately, fanfictions need tension and I'm also aiming to write about things like racism, sexism, LGBT, abuse and etc. Hahaha, I'm actually a Rucas fan but in this fanfic, Rogan all the way. Yeah, I was just thinking Zay is always smiling or laughing. Why shouldn't he cry? Most jokers or people who laugh a lot are usually the most broken ones since they're covering up how broken they are by laughing. At least, that's how it is for me. I wouldn't blame Logan as well. Zay was part of the group that was hurting her. Thanks for reviewing! :D

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :) yeah, Zay is kinda OOC in this fanfic cos I really suck at writing. Lol. If you loved what he said to her, wait for his reason in this chapter. Literally I tried my best to make it deep but it's so cringey, like me. Hahahaha:)) Zay, Farkle and Smackle will become Riley's friends again most probably. Yeah, it is one of the main reasons. Aww, thank you! :) I will continue, don't worry. If I don't update for a long time it's either I died or I have exams or the work load is too much. Hahahaha yeah, me too. :)) In the end, Corey will understand before Topanga understands. Thank you! :D I'm Znot that talented but thank you!:D

 **originalguest**

Rogan is goals! :)) I loved writing that part! I was just like thinking 'fluff? Fluff. Major fluff? Major fluff.' Hahaha, Josh is back! Hahahaha me too actually. That will forever be your trademark. #JOSHAYA4EVERCOSORIGINALGUESTDUH

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Thank you! :)) The Logan and Zay talk is in this chapter. It's Long but sentimental in a way I guess? There will be like a good Friend friendship but not like a bromance as big as Wogan? Lade? Idk. XD Ohh, you're gonna like this chapter. Guess who's back? I shouldn't spoil it for you. Thank you! I just thought 'you know, I need a reason for Zay to come in' and BAM Grandma Gandy in the flesh. I know, I could die from writing this fluff. :D Yeah, my friend's much better. Thank you! :D I was really uncertain about giving such a dark background to Logan but I just needed to make an impact on this story. I don't want like this story to be known as just Riley being betrayed and becoming independent. I want it to be like focusing on things happening around the world. Sexism, racism, abuse, bullying, etc. Yes, exactly. Riley should be treated better than that! Mmhmm, sleepover, winter formal, summer, drama, drama, drama. Yeah, Riley and kitty are gonna bond and become like BFFs. I'm not sure whether I should have something with the family. Like maybe a older brother? Like a Bill Weasley Brother! Yeah it's turned from Girl Meets World to Girl's Best Friend Meets World (Bonus feature!Girl gets pushed aside and ignored). Yes! Like season 1 was great, right amount of Rucas and Riley in the show, enough but not too much Maya time. But season 3 just went kinda downhill although Girl Meets Ski Lodge was so cute! Yeah, I agree 100%. Yeah, what's the point of getting Rucas together in the end but not giving an episode like 'Girl Meets Boy's Parents' or 'Girl Meets Love'. I dunno, at least some Rucas moments would be good. Yep, fanfiction is the best. Yes! I loved that at least Riley was not moving and Maya now had a dad. It was hilarious to see Shawn going, hey Daughter. Maya fumbling to whether she should call Shawn dad or daddy was hilarious. Yes! It could be called 'The King and Queen of Cliffhangers Guide to Cliffhanging'. Aw, debate would've been cool. I hope you'll get through the year and pass with flying colours. Woah! That's a huge family! SIX BROTHERS! I only have three siblings. Compare my family to yours, mine looks tiny. Hahahaha, I actually lie a lot. I can lie very fluently like its no problem. I can't tell whether that's a good thing or not but it helps when I'm trying to cover up my emotions. I did! My house nearly burnt down, again, due to the barbeque set. I actually just started reading Harry Potter in December. I finished all the books in four days cos they were just that good and addictive. Who do you ship?

 **Chapter 8**

 **alwaysrucas**

Yeah! I went to Australia during December. I actually stayed there for two weeks, in Perth and in the country. Australia was really cool! Actually when I arrived, I was expecting a hot weather but it was like air conditioner temperature! I loved the cold nights, the ever changing temperature in the day, canoeing, climbing in caves, visiting the beach, shopping, eating and taking the pictures. I actually saw a kangaroo outside the house we were staying in. You live in Melbourne? That's so cool! I've always wanted to go to Melbourne.

 **Now that that's done, I'd just like to wish y'all a late Valentine's Day! Also, il try my best to update as fast as I can but I've got my exams until the middle of March. I'll try my best though! Enough to talk, here's Chapter 12 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

Crossing his arms over his chest, Logan stood rooted to the ground, unmoving and scarily stoic. His eyes seemed to be drilling through Zay, trying to read his mind and find out every single thing about him. His mouth was set in a thin line, eyes flashing with suspicion and anger.

"Why the sudden reflection on how you've been treating Riley?" Logan questioned, eyes still on Zay, not moving.

Gulping, Zay felt like he was being interrogated and any wrong answer would lead him straight to his doom, literally. Fidgeting relentlessly, he twisted the sleeve of his jacket repeatedly and finally, he answered.

"I saw her hanging out with you guys. I saw how happy she looked, happier than I had ever seen her in a while. The way she smiled at you guys made the way she smiled at us look like a grimace. I thought over what could have made Riley so... Sad.

I usually wouldn't care less about other people's sadness. But this was Riley. Riley freaking Matthews, the one who made me feel welcome, at home, amongst friends, confident, optimistic and as if I could face anything as long as she was there.

Most people see me as this joker, the one who makes people laugh in the worst of times, the one who treats everything like a joke but Riley saw me for who I truly was. She saw me as someone who was hiding his pain with jokes and laughter. She saw the true me.

She was the first and only person I told about my pain. She comforted me, gave me strength and confidence. And what did I do? Kick her to the freaking curb, replace her with Maya, pay more attention to Maya and made her feel small when I talked about how _perfect_ Maya and Lucas would be.

She deserves more than me. She deserves a friend better than me. I hurt her without realising it. I made her cry. I made her suffer. But she can still _forgive_ me. No one is that nice, that kind, that selfless, that humble, that amazing. Except for her. She has a heart of gold and she doesn't deserve to get that gold tainted and spoilt from our horrid selves.

I asked for Riley's forgiveness, she gave it to me even though I don't deserve it. We, _I_ , never really appreciated her that way should have. She should be treated like a Queen, not some second choice. I... I know how horrible I've been to her now and since she has forgiven me, I'm going to stick by her no matter what."

Looking closely, Logan could see how shaken up Zay was. Tears were threatening to spill down his cheeks, his usual bright eyes that sparkled with joy was dull and his famous laughing smile was wiped off his face, replaced by a trembling straight line.

Feeling a rising guilt in his chest, Logan nodded his head, unfolding his arms and holding a hand out. Zay slowly looked up from the ground, his eyes meeting Logan's and he couldn't help but be shocked at how fast he had just changed his personality.

His eyes were now less hardened, but still guarded, and his eyebrows were no longer knitted together. He looked more approachable, kind even.

Say raised his hand that had previously been dangling at his side, taking Logan's outstretched hand and shaking it. What they both didn't know was that that simple handshake was the start of a beautiful friendship.

"Let's go back in, Riley will start to think that I'm hiding your body." The sides of Logan's mouth tugged the slightest bit upwards, forming a tiny smile. Zay nodded his head, wiping his tears away with the back of his hand and they both entered Grandma Gandy's shop.

Opening the door, a gust of cold air blew into the shop and the boys quickly shut the door, thankful for the warmth inside. They headed straight to Riley who was looking at a shelf of Christmas decorations.

Riley looked up from the mini Christmas tree she held in her hands, only to see that Logan and Zay were standing there, Zay's face having the faintest trace of tears. She placed down the tree back onto the shelf and without saying a word, pulled the two boys into a hug.

She squeezed them tightly, happiness bubbling inside of her. Seeing her old Friend and new Friend all alright with each other warmed her heart.

"Now, let's find some Christmas decorations and get a snack later." Riley grinned, pulling away from the hug, reluctant to let go off Logan especially.

Zay perked up, his familiar cheeky blinding white grin flashing on his face, his eyes dashing to his Grandmother who stood to the side, a knowing smile on her face.

"Why waste time to go out and get a snack when there's a cafe right here?" Zay trailed off, Riley and Logan raising their eyebrows, not understanding what he was saying.

He turned on his heel and walked to the staircase behind the counter, gesturing for Riley and Logan to follow him. He walked up the spiral staircase and the two followed, not knowing what Zay was doing. Once they reached the second level, they still did not understand what Zay was talking about.

The second level was bare besides the few cardboard boxes scattered around the floor, with words scribbled on them in a permanent marker. Dust floated in the air, making the three teenagers have an irresistible urge to sneeze. Sneezing, Riley rubbed her nose, muttering an apology.

Logan turned his head to her, tweaking her nose, making her giggle and pinch his nose, making him laugh. Zay turned around to see their playful fight, shaking his head and grinning as both of them ran around the large room, trying to pinch each other's noses while dodging attacks from their 'competitor'.

Finally, Logan ended their 'fight' by dashing around a corner unexpectedly and lifting her up from the ground, making her let out a surprised squeal. They both laughed, looking into each other's eyes and the laughter died down.

Noticing that he was still carrying Riley, Logan blushed, quickly letting go of his grip on her waist and Riley blushed before simply tweaking his nose, him staring at her with wide eyes and a grin on his face whilst she ran off, back to Zay.

"Why'd you bring us up here?" Riley asked Zay, jogging to his side. Zay gave her an excited grin, spreading his arms out. "This dusty big room right here will be transformed into a café! Grandma Gandy needs some help to plan how the place will look like. She said she wanted something 'hip' where people would _actually_ want to come in." Zay smiled and Riley gasped.

"Can we help?" Riley asked, excitement bubbling inside of her at the thought of decorating.

"Yes! You can actually decorate really well, right? What am I saying, of course you can! I remember you redecorated your bay window. So, shall we start planning?" Zay grinned, his eyes sweeping over the room.

Riley nodded her head enthusiastically as Zay walked over to a notepad laying on the floor, with pencils and markers scattered all over the floor. He plopped himself down, making a loud 'thud'. Riley, on the other hand, walked over to where he sat but just as she was about to reach him, her foot landed right where a marker was.

Letting out a yelp, her foot slid on the smooth surface of the marker, her body leaning forward. Time seemed to slow down and Riley reached her hand up in the air, trying to find something to grip onto but only finding empty air.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her waist, stopping her from colliding against the floor. Looking up to see who her saviour was, she found blue-green eyes staring at her in worry, eyebrows furrowed and a lopsided smile on his face.

"Couldn't help falling again, eh Knicksie?" Logan joked, pulling her up from her half lying down position on his arm.

Muttering a thanks, both of them sat down opposite of Zay who was staring at the scene in front of him with a smirk. Giving Riley a knowing smile, the three teenagers began planning how to decorate the café, Riley contributing most of the decorative ideas, Logan giving the technical and food ideas, and Zay shouting random ideas of entertainment.

In short, they made a great planning team.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

 _The next day_

"Where are they?" Riley groaned, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, sunlight shining into her eyes, making her eyes squint. Logan sighed, yawning sleepily.

They spent the whole of yesterday helping Zay to plan out how the café would look like, catching up with Zay while doing so, and decorating Josh and Andrew's dorm with festive bibs and bobbles.

Suddenly, a bus swerved into the front of NYU and the two jolted up, fidgeting with their winter jackets in excitement. The doors opened and students piled out, none of whom Riley and Logan recognised.

Finally, Josh and Andrew stepped off the bus, heaving their luggage bags out of the bus. Just as Riley was about to run towards Josh to give him a hug and update him on everything, Logan held out his arm, sticking it in Riley's path.

She gave a questioning look to Logan and he nodded his head in their direction. Her eyes snapped back to Josh and Andrew, widening when she realised why Logan stopped her from going to Josh.

Josh was arguing with a girl his age. The latter had honey blonde hair pulled back into a fishtail braid, downcast chestnut eyes and a slim figure. She wore a black winter jacket with a baggy white shirt splattered with paint of all colours. Baby pink jeans were fitted snugly on the bottom half of her body, with knee length brown boots.

Both of them had their faces stained with tears, their mouths moving at a speed rivaling Barry Allen himself, their hands waving wildly in the air. Despite arguing with each other, Josh was helping to take her turquoise luggage bag off from the bus.

"We shouldn't listen in to their conversation. It's not of our business." Logan said, staring wide eyed at the two arguing but his voice holding a certain curiosity to it. Riley shrugged her shoulders, looking at Logan. "Well... I mean, it's kind of our business. Josh is basically a Brother to me and he's your Brother's Best Friend..." Riley trailed off, Logan nodding firmly along to her words.

Clasping their hands in each other's, they both ran sneakily past the trees and towards the bus, finally standing in front of the bus, near enough to the two college students. Since they were quite loud, they didn't have to strain their ears to hear what they were saying.

"I just can't be with you!" The girl cried, squeezing her eyes shut, her forehead crinkling and biting her bottom lip. "Please Wendy! Just hear me out-" Josh shouted but was cut off when she turned her back to him, snatching her luggage bag from him and dashing to the entrance of NYU, sobs heard coming from her.

Andrew patted Josh on the shoulder, jerking his thumb in the direction of the NYU building. "I'll just... Go and unpack first." He pursed his lips, rolling his luggage bag behind him as he headed towards his dorm.

What Riley saw next was downright shocking.

Her Uncle Josh, the one who was always there for her, never cried over trivial matters before, always remained her rock, collapsed onto the ground, sitting on the soft white snow, one leg bent and one stretched out.

He stared straight ahead, leaning backwards so that his back was on the trunk of the tree. His eyes began to water with what was unmistakably tears, the tears falling down his face slowly exactly like how snow floated from the sky down to earth.

Riley knew whenever her Uncle cried, it was a big deal. So, she ran forwards, not caring about the consequences of her Uncle learning that was was eavesdropping on what was certainly a private conversation.

She sat down gently besides him, tucking her legs closer to her and pushing away a strand of hair behind her ear. Both of them sat in silence, staring straight ahead, the only sound coming from Logan walking past them to find Andrew, knowing that it was a private conversation.

Suddenly, Josh blurted, "Why are the right ones always so hard to get?" He continued to look ahead, his hands laying slack at his sides. Riley contemplated her answer quickly, wondering if she should tell him what she honestly thought.

"I think... The right ones are always harder to get because you have to work hard and be patient in order to receive your reward, not that women are a reward. But... From my experience, the right ones are harder to get because of the fear. The fear of starting a relationship so delicate, so fragile, that would certainly be filled with tears and broken hearts. However, with sadness comes happiness and you just have to focus on the happy parts and push away the bad parts. Some people... Just, don't want to be with someone so right for them because they feel insecure. _That_ person is so right in every way in their eyes, that they believe that person should deserve someone better, someone perfect." Riley bit her lip, placing her hand gingerly on top of Josh's.

Josh then turned to face Riley, his eyes softening and the tear stains visible on his cheeks. He knew Riley was speaking for experience. From the whole Lucas and Maya triangle, she had experience in this field of knowledge.

"Thanks Riles." He managed to muster a small smile while standing up, dusting the snow off his pants before taking Riley's arm and pulling her up. They smiled at each other, their eyes shining with tears.

Whatever happened next, they could always depend on each other and that was all that mattered.

Josh then took his luggage bag, rolling it behind him whilst walking alongside Riley in silence, their hands in each other's as a sign of reassurance and comfort. Finally, they reached Josh's dorm where Andrew and Logan stood outside, leaning on the wall.

"I told you, we have to wait for Riley and Josh. It's only right since Riley also contributed to the... Surprise." Logan huffed, uncrossing his arms and giving his stepbrother a look.

Andrew spotted Josh and Riley at the corner of his eyes and pointed at them excitedly, gesturing to the door. Logan gave Riley a joking roll of his eyes before flinging open the door, showing the two college students the surprise.

Their dorm was now decorated festively. A real pine tree was put up against the bay window of the dorm, the pine scent filling the room. Baubles hung from the branches, all handmade by Riley and Logan who had painted intricate designs on them. Fairy lights were wrapped around the tree and cotton wool that was made to look like snow was placed randomly on the branches. A bright gold star bought from Grandma Gandy's shop was placed on the top of the tree, shining and representing hope and joy.

Two wreaths were hung up, one on the wall above Josh's bed and the other on the wall above Andrew's bed. The wreath was coloured blue for Josh and red for Andrew, the usual things on a wreath was there.

Logan and Riley had done other simple things to make the room look festive. They laid baubles and pinecones on their desks, changed the bedsheets to festive colours, had a bowl of candy cane on each of the bedside tables and more.

Letting out a gasp, Josh and Andrew looked from the decorations back to the two teenagers standing innocently at the door. Their mouths were opening and shutting repeatedly, their words stuck in their throats.

When words failed them, the two college students flung their arms around Riley and Logan, pulling them into a hug. The four of them laughed joyfully, squeezing each other tightly.

Pulling away from the hug, the two college students took another look around the room, gaping at some very intricate decorations obviously made by Logan and Riley. "You guys are fantastic." Josh muttered, fingering a intricate snowflake made of cardboard but spray painted with white and a tinge of blue, with glitter thrown on top of it.

The two high schoolers blushed humbly, Logan running his fingers through his Raven Black locks and Riley fidgeting with her sleeves. "We just wanted to make your room nice. We thought after so much studying, you guys deserved some holiday cheer." Logan shrugged his shoulders, as if spending five hours was no big deal to decorate someone's dorm.

"Shall we go to the canteen? I heard the baking club is holding a cookie making workshop!" Riley clapped her hands together, Andrew 'whooping' at the mention of cookies and Josh grinning. Logan laughed, nodding his head just as their room door was flung open, a familiar figure standing at the frame.

"What's up?" Zay Babineux stood there, his white teeth flashing and his signature flannel worn underneath a red winter jacket. He shrugged off his winter jacket, still keeping the flannel on and grinned cheekily.

"I'm here to spend Christmas Eve with y'all!" He gave jazz hands, raising an eyebrow and nodding his head. Riley beamed from ear to ear, wrapping Zay in a a tight hug. When she pulled away, she saw Josh standing to a side, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyebrows knitted together and his tongue rolling around inside his mouth.

Resentment and rage burned in his eyes as he glared ferociously at Zay, as if he was a piece of meat. "Riley, can I talk to you for a second." He didn't wait for an answer, pushing the Logan and Andrew out of the room but shoving Zay with strength.

"Privately." He added firmly, raising his eyebrow at his Friend, Andrew. The latter opened his mouth, about to protest but was shut up by a quick flare from Josh. He raised his hands defensively, backing away from the door slowly.

Josh gave Logan a nod of his head and the black haired male nodded in understanding, a mutual agreement among both of them. To protect Riley at all costs.

Slamming the door in Zay's face, Josh turned around to face Riley, his eyes softening at the slightly frightened look on Riley's face. His arms still laid crossed over his chest, anger pulsing through his veins.

"What the hell." He stated the words firmly, his lips pursing and his nostrils flaring.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Again, I'm really so, so, so, so sorry for taking so long to update. I'll really try my best to update the next chapter as fast as I can. Please Favourite, follow and review! Constructive critiscm is greatly appreciated! Besides that, I hope y'all had a great Valentine's Day. Those who are single or were rejected, I'm here if you need someone to talk to, especially if you were rejected. But everything will get better. That guy or girl really doesn't know what he or she missed out on. You are fantastic. You are gorgeous. You are intelligent. You are precious. You are important. You are loved. See y'all in the next chapter! I love y'all so much and Happy Late Valentine's Day!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	13. Chapter 13

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm back with another chapter! So before I start with the replies, I'd like to say two things. First of all, thank y'all for the incredible amount of support. Y'all are the best. Second of all, in two weeks time I have a week of holiday so I'll try my best to either update an extra long chapter or two normal chapters. Here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Lolly**

I don't know if it's perfect but thank you! :) Thank you so much. I just love Riley Matthews so much and I feel like she's so unappreciated in the show. Like all she got in the last few episodes were "oh, I'm moving to London! Oh golly" and "Maya this, maya that". I mean, I love Maya but she's the one getting so much attention in the episodes. Thank you! :D I'll always care. 3 Whoever rejected you had no idea what he/she is missing out on. You are an incredible person and I'm sure that someone will ask you out in the future. You're not pathetic, not now nor ever. Yes! You are you, and don't ever change that. Well, I'm only in High School and my school is an all girls' school so I don't really know that many guys. Valentine's Day for me was like any other normal day, I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Anyway, I hope that even though you got rejected, you will still remain yourself and don't change a thing about you. Someone out there will love you with all his/her heart and cherish you. It may not be now and it may take some bumps in the road but eventually, you'll find him/her. You will.

 **Kashirama**

Hello again, Riley doppelgänger! :D thank you! Me too, that show was the only thing I watched besides the Flash, Arrow and a tad bit of Supergirl. I was just so shocked that Disney would cancel the one show that got most people to even watch Disney. I loved GMW so much and although the script was getting quite bad, it was still GMW and Riley was inside. Also, not enough Rucas for my heart. I'm shipping Rogan so hard but I kind of want to make Riley have special moments with the rest of the gang before moving back to super duper Rogan fluff! Thanks! :)) I hope you had a great Valentine's Day. Thank you! :D

 **RucasLover24**

Hahaha, nah you didn't do a review before this. Thank you! :D That is such a confidence booster to know that you can actually see Josh and Andrew's expressions. Thank you but you give me way too much credit. :)) Y'all (my readers) are just so amazing. Thank you again! :) Thank you so, so, so much! I try my best to make everyone special because every person is special, so why shouldn't they be treated specially? That is very true, I love all my readers with all my heart. I try my best to improve in the areas where I am weak in and it really is heartwarming to know that my writing is getting better. :D I don't think I'm the best writer out there but again, thank you so much, from the Sun to Pluto and back! Girl Meets World helped me a lot as well and it's nice to know that I'm not the only one that was hugely affected by the cancellation of the show. I just relate to Riley so much like when she's sad, she puts on a smile and try's to be her 'normal' self just so everyone else can be happy. Aww, thank you but I am sure that there are other better writers out there. You love this story and I love you! :)) Thank you so much for your reviews, they always make my days and it keeps me going and motivates me to write. You are such an amazing person, you have no idea how much your reviews mean to me. :D

 **Guest**

Josh x Wendy should be called... Hmm... Maybe Jendy? I'll have a voting to see what Josh x Wendy should be called! I'll remember to write you suggestions in!

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) I hope people vote for Josh and Wendy (the girl you were referring to). I get really attached to my characters and I think Wendy is going to be so close to my heart.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) Oh my gods, yes! Olivia Holt is such an amazing actress and I can really see her play the role of Wendy (the girl you were referring to). My updating schedule kinda depends. I try to update once two weeks as my schedule is really packed as I have my after school activity, tuition, school, third language, etc. The latest I'll update is once a month and that's when I either have exams or I have a lot of work to catchup on but no matter what, I'll try my best to update regularly and will notify y'all if I'm taking a break.

 **Emilia B**

Heyyy! I'll just reply to this later review her so please scroll down to find the reply to your earlier review. :)) Hahaha, every review is not boring no matter what. I love long reviews so don't worry! It's fine, I'm sure your review is not boring. No review is boring to me. I know! Rogan is basically an A+ team to fix anything.

 **Sanchezashley**

I'm really sorry but you'll have to wait a bit longer! :( I don't really believe in love at first sight so I'm trying to build up the relationship so when they kiss, they'll know they didn't make a mistake and were very sure about kissing each other. I promise I'll try to make it up to you by having a very descriptive feeling of their kissing. Like fireworks, electricity coursing through their veins and other stuff like that. There is a kinda romantic moment in this chapter which will be a link to the romantic moment in the next chapter. I'm not sure, I might make Zay not tell the rest of the gang just so they can avoid conflict. Also, I need Ziley friendship and I don't want them to fight again. But when the time comes, Zay will be shipping Rogan so hard he'll probably make a shirt. XD

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) There's a bit of Rogan fluff in this chapter which will be furthered in the next chapter. Yes! Family fluff in this fanfic for Josh and Riley. Nah, it's not a stupid question. Anyway, yes. Grandma Gandy was the one who sent a single cookie to Zay from all the way from Texas.

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :D Yeah, Josh is like the older Brother Riley never had. He kinda acts like a Father figure though. Hahaha, yeah. I made Maya such a meanie in this fanfic that I feel so bad. But, Wendy is so cool! Y'all will get to know her better in this chapter. I know what you mean. I mean, the Ski Lodge scene was adorable but it was kinda weird how she just developed a crush on him just based on his looks. I know she said she liked him, like his personality but she kinda didn't get to know him more. However, if I had to ship Maya with anyone in the show it'll be Josh or Zay cos even though it's kinda weird, it's super cute. Yeah, I mean Logan is a laid back kinda guy unless it's about Riley. Auggie will apologise to Riley (duh) and they'll be back to being 'twins'. Also, Uncle Eric will be acting like a Father figure to Riley. Shawn will come in, he may be kind of bad at first but after he gets to know Riley's reasoning, he'll go to her side. You're most welcome! :)) That's really heartwarming! I'll try my best to update. There is actually a week of holiday coming up soon and I'm hoping to either update an extra long chapter or update two normal chapters!

 **volleyballer82**

Hahaha, Rucas is my canon ship. I loved writing Riley+Josh and Logan+Zay's bonding! I've always wanted an older Brother too! I can't wait to see what comes next too. I actually have no clue what the next chapters are going to be about as I kinda wing it when I start writing. I don't actually plan anything major out, like the whole Logan backstory wasn't planned out. The thought just came to me. Hahaha, I'm such a weird writer.

 **Emilia B**

Heyyy! :D I literally just replied to your later review. Hahaha:)) Aww, I was smiling like a weirdo when I received your review. People were just judging me in the subway. I swear they thought I was mad. I get what you mean! Like sometimes, I just wonder why the Internet is so 'cruel' nowadays. It used to be mostly encouraging words and praises but now when I scroll to comments (especially YouTube), it's all mostly hate. However, the Internet is mostly bright and hate comments are getting lesser and lesser so... Yay! I love replying to reviews! Literally, I keep the replying to after I finish writing the chapter because always save the best for last! Thank you! :D I was really unsure about how I described their personalities cos I find it kinda hard to write Zay. You can't exactly capture the full cheekiness of Zay! He's like Leo Valdez (thumbs up if you know McShizzle!) and the Weasley twins combined. I just finished my exams on Wednesday! Overall, my marks are okay. It's not that bad considering the huge jump from four subjects to 8 subjects. I actually have my third language test tomorrow so, crossing my fingers! I wish you the best of luck for your exams and if you have finished, you can now relax! I know what you mean. Like when you have exams, you feel like you have a schedule to follow, example: wake up, study, eat, study, bathe, study, study, etc. My parents were okay with my marks. Apparently, my Sister didn't actually do that well when she was in my year so I don't have that high an expectation to live up to? Thank you for your kind words. I know they want what's best for me and that they love me but sometimes, I just can't help feeling insecure about myself. Thank you but I don't think I'll ever show them my online life. I just need someplace where I can unwind without any pressure. No one in my offline life knows my account except for this girl in in my school. I only just met her but she's really amazing and she's such a Fangirl at heart too! I've actually come to terms that we'll probably never be as good friends as we used to be. It's life isn't it? People come and go in your life but as long as you're open to new people, you'll have no problem fitting in. I'm really sorry that you lost your friends but at least you found your soul Sister from moving! Your Friend sounds fantastic and I hope your friendship with her will last for a long time. Thank you for the wise but cheesy words! :)) You'd make a great Friend and I'm sure your Friend feels lucky to have you. Thank you for reviewing! :D I love all of y'all so much.

 **originalguest**

I'm glad my repeat made you laugh! :)) Thank you! No worries, Josh will be happy again soon. Who knows what's gonna happen next? *shrugs* Zay is amazing, isn't he? He's the perfectly hilarious guy everyone wants to be Friends with. Read to find out... *wiggles eyebrows* #ROGAN #JOSHAYA4EVER *in an announcer voice* and this ad is brought to you by originalguest with the spectacularly hashtag, JOSHAYA4EVER

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Aww, thank you! :D Logan is so protective over Riley. I just love the thought of him being all laid back but when it comes to Riley, he'd start a fight with anybody if that person insulted her. I feel bad for making Zay have a breakdown but I just wanted to show that he has feelings too and that sometimes, the class clowns actually have the deepest thoughts and feelings. Logan will be good friends with Zay but Logan will always have the biggest bromance with Wade. Also, Zay has his own bromance with Lucas, no matter how mean Lucas is. I really have to write down a list of the official ship names of all the characters in this story. I loved writing the Riley/Josh talk. Josh is like the older Brother Riley never had and he's kinda taking on the role as her Father figure. Oh, the future might be closer than you think... *wiggles eyebrows* It might be spoilers!in this chapter. I try to write as much fluff as I can but on the next few chapters, I'll be focusing mainly on friendship and try not too have too much drama before the real drama begins. I'm actually not sure what the real drama is? Lol. I really want Riley, Logan and Zay to show their creative sides on this little project. I know what you mean. I mean, it's nice to read drama but sometimes, you just have to have some realistic events like hanging out with friends or Christmas. Thank you! :D I know what you mean. Most books/fanfics I've read went really deep into the girl's past but they kinda skimmed through the boy's past. (*cough* Percy Jackson *cough*) I try to write a more realistic setting for this story. Thank you! :)) Yes! Bill and Charlie Weasley Brother figure is basically a Brother everyone can dream of! It's really annoying how they just changed the whole thing to Maya finally having a dad. I mean, it was a really good thing to add in but isn't a bit weird for Shawn to just tell that to Maya in the middle of a Matthews problem?! It is so annoying, I just wanted to scream! I feel like they forgot about Rucas after ski lodge. I mean sure, both of them had a few moments but I need more for my Rucas heart but like you said, I'll take what I can get. I agree with you! It like no one from your offline life can pressure you for your writing. I agree but like I said, it was strange for Shawn to just suddenly ask Maya to become his Daughter. I hope you're enjoying writing and phycology! They sound really interesting. You're welcome! :)) Hahaha, I'm in the middle so people kinda pay more attention to my siblings but strangely, I'm okay with that. I prefer to talk to people I know more and not relatives I talk to once a year. Woah! You have fifty cousins? That's an insane amount! You life sure does sound loud but how do y'all meet up at the same time? Do y'all like just cram into a room or go into a large open area? Hahaha, i don't mind your phycology. It sounds deep. Yup! My house nearly burnt down again. Hahaha, usually our cooking goes smoothly but apparently the reason why the grill keeps being set on fire is because of the oil from the food dripping into the fire or something like that? Oh my gods! Our cooking skills are incredible. No sarcasm there, at all. The books are amazing! I loved them so much, it's probably my favourite book series. My favourite book was Prisoner of Azkaban as well cos the feels! It had such a great plot twist! I never expected Ron's rat to be Peter or for Sirius to be good. Yes! Please rant, I need someone to talk Harry Potter to cos my family is so sick of hearing me rant about Harry Potter. I'm actually okay with all ships (except weird ones, like dobby and the sorting hat?) but my all time favourite is Drarry. In the movies, I ship HarryxHermione along with Drarry. Especially during the dance scene! That was adorable. Also, Remus and Tonks was so adorable! I loved the part where Tonks just told Remus she doesn't want anyone young, rich or safe but she wants him. My. Heart. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Before I end my reply, I'd just want to say how weird the drapple ship is. Strangely makes sense though, lol.

 **Sweetchocolate26**

Thank you! :D I'll try my best not to stress but no promises. Things are getting better, mostly because I finished my March exams already and I've gotten use to sleeping later (but not too late) to finish up my work. I loved writing Zay's explanation. I wanted to show how sometimes the class clown actually has the deepest thoughts and feelings. I want Rogan quickly but I want to build up the friendship and I want them to slowly fall in love. I don't want it to be love at first sight as no offence to anyone but I don't believe in that. I believe you have to slowly build up he relationship. You can't just fall in love someone at the first look. If you do, it's proven to be mostly due to looks and I want both of them to love each other for the personalities and not for looks. You guessed right. There's a really tiny argument between Josh and Riley in this chapter by they don't shout at each other.

 **Guest**

Agreed. Zay is fantastic.

 **Now that section is done, please review, Favourite and follow! Before I start rambling about unnecessary things (like the newest songs or TOP or GOTG2 or Logan *cough* talk to me about them *cough* they're. It unnecessary though) here is chapter 13 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

"He's my Friend Uncle Josh." Riley stated, as if that was enough explanation to why one of her friends from her old group was behind the door of her Uncle's dorm, ready to spend Christmas Eve with the very person he had caused pain to.

Josh felt an overwhelming rush of anger coursing through his body, filling him to the brim. He wanted nothing more than to grab the teenager outside his door and slam his head senseless against a wall.

How could his Niece forgive so easily? He was one of the reasons why she was broken. Even if he didn't contribute to her pain, he stood by and watched her light slowly dimming, adding salt to the wound at some points.

"Riles," Josh started off, a hand on his hip and the other rubbing his forehead in exasperation, his eyes squeezed tightly together, his head shaking. "Zay... He may seem all great now but he was one of _them_ that caused you pain."

Riley sighed, biting her lip, feeling frustrated already. She knew her Uncle was just trying to protect her but didn't he trust her? Didn't he trust her opinions? She knew it was stupid to feel that way but whenever she followed her gut, wasn't the outcome always right?

"Uncle Josh, I love you and you're the best Uncle in the world but just trust me. I know what I'm doing. Zay's a great guy and the only reason why he didn't stand up for me was because he doesn't want to be alone. He doesn't want to be an outcast. And from my experience, when someone wants to be surrounded by people, somebody hurt them at some point in their life." Riley wrapped her arms around Josh, giving him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Think about it." She turned on her heel, walking out of the room, leaving Josh to think through Riley's words.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Riley wiped the beads of sweat trickling down her forehead, huffing tiredly. Despite the chilling weather around her and the fact that snowflakes fell from the sky, decorating her brown locks beautifully, she was perspiring like mad. Many shopping bags hung from her arms, all gifts she never got around to buying even though she had planned to buy her gifts a month in advance.

After Zay, Andrew, Logan and her had finished baking some cinnamon cookies which had ended up in flour smeared on each other's faces and cookies that tasted miraculously decent, they had all changed out of their flour stained clothes and into new ones before agreeing to go for some late Christmas shopping.

Once they arrived at the mall, they ate lunch together before Riley split up with the boys since she wanted to buy gifts for everybody. They agreed to meet back at NYU, all three knowing what it was like to face the wrath of a female shopping and not wanting to carry her bags for her.

Besides gifts, the Brunette had bought some art supplies. She definitely couldn't draw if her life depended on it but she could decorate. She bought twine, coloured papers, markers and other card making materials from the Art store.

When she was in the shop, her heart clenched as everything around her reminded her of Maya. Maya was known to be artistic. Art was what she depended on to get through obstacles in her life, besides Riley. It didn't help that Riley had been in the exact same shop with Maya countless of times previously. Everywhere she turned, she saw Maya staring back at her.

'Why did you leave me? Why did you leave like my father? You promised you would _never_ leave me.' Words snaked into Riley's mind, echoing in her head repeatedly which had given her a splitting headache. She had to squat on the floor of the shop for a while, bags surrounding her like a defensive wall against Maya's words.

That Blonde sure had an impact on people. Even though Riley hadn't had a conversation with her 'best friend' for more than a month, let alone a _real_ conversation, she still had that influence on her. She was still there.

Suddenly, Riley collided with someone just as she was a metre away from the doors of NYU, her shopping bags flying everywhere. The Brunette's head snapped upwards, only to see a pair of chestnut brown eyes staring back at her in shock. The honey blonde hair was still up in the fishtail braid but messier, with bits of hair sticking out from the braid and some falling over her face.

"I'm _so_ sorry. I just wasn't looking where I was going and-" The teenager stopped short, tears alarmingly forming in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Immediately, the Blonde crumpled to the grass like a lifeless doll, her eyes glazed over with tears as she looked straight ahead, leaning against a tree.

Riley picked up her bags, grateful that nothing came out of the bags. She busied herself by gathering all the bags, resisting the urge to comfort the silently crying girl behind her. Her conscience was telling her to be Riley, comfort the girl but she argued with herself, which was strange for her. She didn't want to help the Blonde. She made Josh cry and Riley was pretty sure it was her that made Josh so distant before he left for the trip.

Guilt washed over her and her conscience got the better of her. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her brown locks and kneeled down besides the college student, her bags surrounding the two of them. She awkwardly patted the girl's shoulder, slowly sitting down from her kneeling position.

"I am so stupid." The Blonde whispered in a soft voice, looking to Riley. "You're Riley, aren't you? Josh's niece? You know, he never stops talking about you. Don't tell him I said this but that was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. For his concern and love I could hear in his voice when he talked about his family. When he talked about you."

Riley quirked a small smile at the Blonde, her eyes softening when she heard what she said about Josh and her. However, all she could focus on was what she said before that.

"You love my Uncle?" Riley asked, a look of bewilderment smack on her face, trying her best to not sound so surprised.

The Blonde simply laughed, her eyes filling with joy and love as she talked about Josh. "How could someone not love Josh? He's amazing, kind, charming, humble, funny and so much more. He has his flaws but to me, he's perfect. I knew the moment we were paired together for our Creative Writing project, he was going to make a huge impact on my life."

Riley couldn't help but ask a burning question that had been on her mind the moment she heard the argument between Josh and her. "Then why are you breaking his heart? Why are you making him cry? Why are you making him sad?" She asked gently, scared that the Blonde would run away if she raised her voice.

Soon, everything came out of the Blonde in a huge wave, crashing on Riley. At some points she had cried and Riley allowed the Blonde to put her head on her shoulder. She whispered comforting words, urging her to finish her story.

It turns out, the Blonde, now confirmed as Wendy, had met Josh when he first came to NYU. She had been part of his tight knit group consisting of Andrew, Jasmine, Charlotte and him. Between the three girls, Wendy was the closest to Josh and he told her secrets he hadn't even told Andrew about.

He told her everything about him and she told everything him about her, except for one secret.

She was the heir to the one and only Edwards Enterprisers, one of the most famous companies in all of America. She came from a well-to-do family and had anything at her beck and call. Despite her status, she never flaunted it and preferred to live a normal life. Her parents had raised her to be a kind girl and to never use her richness to her advantage.

She didn't rely on her money and power to get what she wanted. She was like everyone else. She worked hard and if she couldn't achieve what she wanted, she would work harder and never give up.

Riley also learnt that she was the one to pay for the sleek Audi car Josh owned. At that time, Josh still didn't know she was the heir to the Edwards Enterprises. They both had agreed to buy a car and share it. However, being a college student meant they didn't exactly have a lot of time to have part time jobs. So, Wendy had bought the Audi car and simply told Josh she had won a lucky draw.

After she had cleared up the tiny details, Wendy went on to explain the bigger situations.

"Before the school trip, Josh kissed me after one of our study sessions. I kissed him back but when I realised what I was doing, I ran off. He tried to talk to me for the next few days but I managed to avoid having a conversation with him. Until the trip." Wendy sighed, bringing her legs to her chest.

"He confronted me after the second day of the trip, asked me why I had been ignoring him. I shouted at him to leave me alone and he shouted back that he couldn't, that I was always on his mind. We got into a few fights during the trip, especially after this guy had tried to ask me out. He got mad when he found out that I had kept from him that I was the heir to the Edwards Enterprises as well."

Riley took in all this information, a burning question in her mind. "Why don't you tell him you like him too?"

Wendy laughed the kind of laugh you knew wasn't because of happiness. Her laugh was broken into bits, like she had choked on something, perhaps her tears. "Because I'm terrified! I'm only in college, how can I be in love with someone already? My feelings to your Uncle are so real and raw. What if we get together, only ending with us breaking up? Our circle of friends would have to choose sides because it'll be too awkward. I can't _love_ Josh already! I shouldn't even be having these feelings." Tears began to fall from Wendy's eyes, stinging her cheeks.

"You love me?" A sudden voice rang out in front of the two girls, Riley's head snapping upwards whilst Wendy buried her head even further into her thighs, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees, wishing the ground could swallow her up right now.

Josh stood in front of them, his eyes wide and the question still lingering in the air. Knowing this was a private conversation, Riley stopped stroking Wendy's back and gathered her bags. She bent down and told Wendy, "Tell nothing more than the truth. And if you break his heart again, I won't hesitate to keep him away from you even though you're a really nice person."

Riley brushed past Josh, giving him a warning look to not make the Blonde cry even harder. She headed straight to the entrance of NYU, turning her head at the last moment, managing to catch a glimpse of Josh sitting next to Wendy, his hand on her back whilst his mouth moved slowly, his eyes soft.

Seeing that action, Riley knew it was going to be okay between them.

She walked through the hallways of NYU, heading straight towards Josh's dorm and once she swung open the door, she set her bags down, letting out a sigh of relief from carrying those bags.

She stretched, hearing a crack coming from her sore muscles which relaxed her immensely. She took the bag of craft supplies she had bought and sat at Josh's table, beginning to make cards for everyone, even her old group.

When she was about to finish the last card, the door was flung open roughly, the wood hitting against the wall, producing a loud sound which made Riley jump out of her seat in surprise. She whipped her head around, only to see Brandon, Wade and Kitty standing at the doorway, Brandon's hand on the door handle.

"Bran!" Kitty scolded, her hands placed on her hips and her eyebrows knitted together as she playfully glared at Brandon. Brandon gave Kitty an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his neck and letting go off the door handle.

Wade shimmied in between the two of them, pushing them apart with him as a wall between the two of them. He held both of his hands out by his sides, pushing the two teenagers away from each other.

Rolling her eyes, Kitty perked up when she saw Riley sitting at the desk, her eye still wide from the loud noise that came from the door. "Smiley Riley!" Kitty grinned, rushing forward and giving the Brunette a big hug.

"Kitty Catty!" Riley responded as enthusiastic, wrapping her arms around her Friend, squeezing her with an equal amount of force. The two boys looked at each other, eyebrows raised at the sudden closeness of the two girls.

The truth was, after meeting Logan's friends, Riley had gotten everyone's number and when she began texting with Kitty, both of them bonding quickly over the similarities they had. They texted everyday without fail and especially when they were both stuck indoors during the snowstorm.

With their arms slung around each other's shoulders casually, Riley looked over at the boys, grinning. "Why're you guys here? Not that I'm complaining!" Riley quickly defended herself when Wade gave her a playful glare.

"Well, our family celebrated Christmas Eve in the morning and afternoon before our parents have to go work at night. It's kinda become a tradition to spend Christmas Eve all together. As long as we get home by eleven thirty, we can hang out as much as we want with you guys!" Kitty answered, beating Wade to it which made him pout.

Suddenly, the door was once again shoved open, the wood crashing against the wall. The wall vibrated slightly from the impact, making the four teenagers look up to the door.

Logan stomped into the room, seething with anger. His fists were clenched at his sides, the knuckles as white as the snow outside. His shoulders were squared, eyebrows were knitted together and his mouth was curled into a snarl, looking like he was ready to pounce on anyone who angered him. His eyes were blazed with such ferocity and anger that it made everyone but Wade recoil back in fear.

The black haired boy gave a shout of rage, releasing his anger by pulling back his fist before punching a mirror in the corner of the room that nobody used. The glass shattered immediately on impact, breaking into tiny pieces. Some dropped onto the floor but in the centre of the mirror was a crimson substance, dripping from the middle.

"Can I have a moment? Privately." Riley stated firmly, not looking away from Logan. The three teenagers got out, Wade squeezing his best friend's shoulder reassuringly, giving Riley a quick pleading glance to help Logan.

Once the three got out, Wade locking the door behind him to prevent anyone from barging in, Riley walked over to Logan cautiously, the latter staring at the area where he broke the glass. He seemed emotionless now, as if he hadn't looked like he wanted to murder everybody just a second ago.

Riley placed her hands on Logan gingerly, steering him away from the glass and to Josh's bed. She made him sit down before taking the first aid kit in the toilet, sitting down next to him.

Opening the box, she took out the pair of tweezers inside and with one hand holding his hand, she used the other hand to pull out the tiny glass shards in his hand. She moved on to the left hand, doing the same procedure, Logan staring straight ahead in silence the whole time. Once she took out the glass shards, she took the sterile gauze, applying pressure on the wounds gently, racking her brains to remember what to do next. It came to her in a snap and quickly, she filled a small bowl with clean water before returning back to Logan, placing the bowl on her lap and taking his hands gently in hers. Slowly, she dipped his hands under the water, holding his hands the hold time. After several minutes, she took them out and rubbed some mild soap on his hands, putting his hands into the water again.

She placed the bowl on the bedside table, taking the towel from the first aid kit and gingerly tapping his wound, wincing everytime she pressed the towel on his wound, even though he was the one that was hurt.

They sat in silence, Riley dabbing his wound with the cloth, not noticing Logan moving his head slightly to look at her. He loved how she knitted her eyebrows together, her forehead creasing and the way she bit her bottom lip, unsure if she was doing the right thing. Only concern, worry, curiosity and something he couldn't read could be seen on her face. Smiling lightly to himself, he couldn't think but how fortunate he was to have met her.

Whilst she continued treating his wound, his eyes softened as he admired how her brown locks fell into her face and how she wast bothered by the strands of hair dangling in front of her, her only main concern Logan, and Logan alone.

And the black haired teenager continued to stare at her, thinking how lucky he was to know her.

* * *

 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this** **chapter. Again, thank y'all for the wonderful support. By the way, I'm sorry for trying to squeeze in some handy first aid. You never know what might happen in the future. But please call for help if there is glass in any part of your body as it is not recommended to try and take the glass pieces out of yourself if I'm not wrong. I just needed Riley to help him with the glass shards alone and not call the ambulance cos I need Rogan fluff. Anyway, see y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm back again with a new chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken. So, this chapter _was_ going to just be the introduction to the Christmas Eve 'party' but I decided to add some drama at the bottom part. Someone from Riley's group is here to see her and the tension is so thick, you'd have to cut it with a chainsaw. Anyway, here are the replies to the reviews from Chapter 13!**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Lolly**

Thank you so much! :) I loved writing Wendy's backstory, it was very fun to plan out what interesting past she had. Thank you! Most people are kinda against a Josh x OC pairing, so it's nice to know that you have positive comments about Josh x Wendy. I love protective!Riley as well. Usually Josh or an adult or a love interest is protective over the main character so it's nice to write a protective young Uncle young enough to be Riley's Brother. HAHAHA, I love your pun so much. :D Is your hand okay though? Please don't punch a mirror again, the glass could cut into one of your veins and you may lose a lot of blood and potentially faint. That's a really cool idea! Maybe I'll write out Riley's major in college as medicine... Oh my Gosh, you are literally correct about the drama in this chapter. Spoilers!Smackle is in this chapter and she wants to talk to Riley. Their conversation will be in the next chapter. I know! Smackle is such an interesting character and they really should've went in depth with Smackle's backstory/life/basically, her character. Hahaha, I remembered a review where someone asked about the whole car thing so I wrote it in. In a later chapter, someone will be coming in who will actually fix Riley's relationship with her parents and he/she actually saw how Riley was acting. Aww, thank you so much but you're way more awesome. :D

 **Guest AB**

Just updated as you can see. Read to find out! If you want major spoilers for the next chapter, please ask me in your review! :)

 **Bri**

Aww, thank you! :) This comment really made my day. Thank you but my writing is that great and I wish it was a talent, I try my best when I write and I get very insecure if it's actually any good so this really helped to boost my confidence. I'll try to work on the next chapter on the way to school so that I'll save more time to write even longer chapters. When you have a bad day, just remember that someone out there appreciates everything about you and loves you for who you are, and that's me. :) Your family and friends love you as well. :D My situation is getting slightly better and school is getting easier to cope due to some amazing people. Thank you so, so, so much! I love you too and I love your reviews and I hope you have an amazing day.

 **Guest**

Sure! I can write and explain what Josh and Wendy talked about. I'm actually planning on making it a one shot as a new story and if it's well liked, I'll write about more about Wendy and Josh before Riley came into the picture.

 **RucasLover24**

You did actually write an earlier review and as usual, I'll reply to the latest one first and the earlier one's reply in further down. I smile so much whenever I see that I got a review from you. Your reviews always make my day and never fail to cheer me up! :) My face muscles literally broke when I read this review on the train. Someone from the 'gang' is at NYU and drama is coming in the next chapter! Unfortunately, only one member is in this chapter. Jendy is a really great ship name! Jendy shall be the official ship name for Josh x Wendy then! I'm really sick of people just hating on each other's ships (agreed, except for Lucaya) and even though I'm a major Rucas and Smarkle fan for the show, I ship Riarkle, Zayadora, Markle, etc. from time to time. I don't see why we have to fight over which is the better ship (Lucaya is definitely NOT endgame) when clearly everyone has their own moments with different characters. (Except lucaya. Hate them.) I love how _you_ respect other ships! This world needs more people like you who respect other people's opinions and choices. Aww, thank you! :D You seriously made my day and I freaking love you for this review! :D

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :) Josh and Wendy is adorable and I hope that they will be endgame in this fanfic. I wouldn't mind if it was Joshaya but Jendy (JoshxWendy) already seems so cute to me. That was such a fluffy moment, I literally need to gush to someone about it. I want some action too but when we reach the Winter Formal, there's a high chance there will be yelling, punching, slapping and definitely crying. You write stories too? That is really heartwarming to know that I helped a teeny bit with your Writers block. I'm a really curious person so, what're you writing? Who's in it, what's it about, where's it taking place, when's it taking place, why's the plot in the story happening? I'm literally so unoriginal, those questions are just the 5Ws. :) But seriously, could you please tell me! I'd love to read it and support the story and you. I'm sure it's amazing and very interesting. I just needed Josh to have some insecurities. No one has no insecurities. Being insecure at certain points at your life is to be expected, no matter how confident you are. This 'outcast' gang is basically the meaning of 'don't judge a book by its cover' since all of them are outcasts for their own reasons and people are afraid of them/don't like them but when you get to know them, they're all amazing individuals with beautiful personalities. I know! Riley is so neglected on the show and her relationships with her friends+family is so toxic. She does everything for them and cares for them but they do the opposite. One episode that really triggered me was Girl Meets Rah-Rah as Riley has always believed in her friends but the one thing she believes in, they don't support her and instead, encourage her to give up. Even her Father was doing the same thing! I really hope the show gets picked up again but maybe with a wider content and Riley _finally_ standing up for herself. I feel very honoured that my story is your GMW time! :D Thank you so much!

 **RucasLover24**

Hi again! I just replied to your later review and here I am on the earlier one! This really makes me so happy to know that you're so excited to read my chapter. Your reviews do really mean a lot to me. Literally after I post a chapter, I check who sent me any reviews and if anyone did send me, I try to rush and finish another chapter so that I can reply to the said review. I hardly ever smile as wide as when I read all these reviews! :D You're really too kind. I don't feel like I'm that great a writer but I know that I try my best when I write for y'all and trying your best is what counts. Thank you so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so much! :D I really can't put how happy I feel into words right now. You're one of my favourite people in this universe and you're so amazing! And _I_ honestly can't thank _you_ enough for taking your time to review every chapter, check to see if I update, read my chapters and just being here for me. Thank you so much! :D I'm literally grinning from ear to ear right now and I cannot tell you how much this review means to me. You're amazing, your review is amazing and I freaking love you! :D

 **volleyballer82**

Hey again Riley doppelgänger! :) *chanting* ROGAN, ROGAN, ROGAN, ROGAN! Just give in to your heart, ship Rogan! I ship Rucas so much in the show but here, I ship Rogan so hard and I'm gonna go down with this ship, even if it sinks. Thank you! :) Maya and Lucas will _definitely_ be coming back into this story. Maya's gonna be more evil (sorry but I need a villain) and Lucas is gonna be so jealous of Logan.

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Thank you so much! :D Riley treating Logan's wound was kind of an apology gift for y'all for not putting in that much Rogan fluff in the past few chapters. The reason to why Logan was so mad will be revealed in this chapter. Wendy will kinda take on the role as Riley's Mother figure and I'm actually thinking of writing a story for Wendy and Josh. How they met, their arguments, etc. But it'll start off as their conversation from the previous chapter after Wendy said she loved Josh. I kinda needed Riley to still be attached to Maya since it'll be unrealistic if she suddenly forgets entirely about her Best Friend since young. Riley and Kitty are gonna be such great friends and I'm thinking of their friendship as playful but serious at the same time? Wade and Brandon would actually be such great friends if only Brandon wasn't hitting on Wade's only Sister. I'm aiming for Logan to be really laid back usually but Super protective over Riley and willing to defend her in a heartbeat. Yup! Wogan/Lade is the ultimate brotp in this story. I actually wrote the official names of the ships down below and I'm planning on saving them in my iPad (what I use to write fanfiction on) so that I won't get confused. Josh is literally the Brother/Father figure Riley never really had and if Riley had to have a graduation speech, I would love if she talked about Josh being her role model. I can't wait to write future chapters! :D *squeals* I actually like spoilers as well. One of my bad habits is actually turning to the later chapter of a boom even though I'm only at the front few chapters, and reading the later chapters. I just have to know what's gonna happen and if my OTP is _actually_ going to be cannon. I really love the thought of all of them having Creative sides! In this chapter, we'll actually get to see Kitty's Creative side which is actually really so cool. I know! Maya always gets the credit for being Creative. I mean, sure she can paint and draw but how does no one see how Creative Riley actually is? Riley literally redecorated the whole entire bay window and changed it from a child-like purple girly bay window to a more mature, artistic, hipster, tumblr Bay window. She even scraped the paint off the wall herself and actually took the initiative to find out if her walls were actually made of red bricks so she could create that type of texture. The Weasleys are basically the dream family! Finally, someone agrees! The show basically revolves around Maya when it should be about Riley. I got so frustrated that all they had Rucas do was almost get into a fight and sit on the stairs and getting Lucas to be insecure about their relationship. I agree! I believe the love triangle was just so they could show the possibilities of kaya getting together with Lucas and more screen time for Maya. It was really so disrespectful of Shawn and Katy to just announce it right in the middle of a matter about the Matthews. Yes! Literally, GMW was becoming all about Maya and I wouldn't be surprised if they continued the show but made the main character Maya, I mean Maya's basically the main character now isn't she? Psychology sounds so interesting I kinda wanna find out more about it! Hahaha, I'm actually kinda jealous of the older siblings. I agree that the oldest sibling has to take on the role as the role model but being the middle child means getting neglected, pushed aside and your problems always are last compared to the rest of your siblings' problems. Literally when I'm talking, I'll get cut off halfway by one of my siblings and everyone just turns their attention to my sibling. I know every sibling age has their own pros and cons so im pretty okay with being the middle child. Like, I don't have to be the responsible one or be the one to carry out an order another family member gives due to being the youngest and having to show respect to your elders. Hahahaha, that's me every Chinese New Year. I'd walk into this huge house and start socialising and a random relative will tell me how I've grown and I have no clue who they are. That's quite hilarious that you see your distant relatives instead of your closer ones more often. Psychology sounds so interesting, I wouldn't mind if you straight up start blurting random psychology stuff. Our cooking skills are so great, we should join master Chef. I bet we would win. Lol. :D Harry Potter is the most amazing book series I've ever read. I just love the plot twists, character development, feelings and just the writing style. POA showed more about the Marauders Era which I thought was really sweet and gave Harry more info about his parents. JK Rowling really is a fantastic writer! I loved the movies as well but they should've added some parts originally from the book. Like the part where Bill Weasley met Fleur. I actually wanted them to reveal how Fred, Remus, Tonks, etc. died. My family thinks they know everything about Harry Potter until I straight up quote a random line from a book in the middle of a conversation. I don't really like Hinny, I feel like Harry's feelings came out of nowhere. Oh my Gosh?! Dumbledore and forks? That is one of the weirdest ships I've seen, hands down. I'm okay with Harry X Hermione too and I've actually red a few that were really good. Harry X Hermione is my second choice for Harry. Their dance scene was so cute, I wanted them to kiss. I read a fanfic where it showed Tonks going to Remus' house and telling him she loved him and it was just so fluffy and goals! I really want to read The Mortal Instruments and watch Shadowhunters but I have no time! I love Riverdale, the Flash and Arrow. I'm really a sucker for superhero TV shows and movies. What's your favourite movie? Mine's every Marvel movie but if I had to pick only one, I'd choose Guardians of the Galaxy in a heartbeat. I watched the movie so many times that whenever I watch it again, I'm actually saying the movie lines at the same time as the characters which is a bit creepy.

 **Alright, so this chapter is only 2,400+ words like any other chapter even though I tried to make it longer but I needed a cliffhanger. Anyway, please review (they really make my day), Favourite and follow! Before I start rambling, here's Chapter 14 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

"What happened?" Riley asked after cleaning Logan's wound. She held his hand gently in her lap, rubbing her fingers over the palm of his hand, trying to soothe him. Logan looked over at Riley, her brown doe eyes filled with worry.

Logan sighed, licking his lips and preparing to speak. "I saw Farkle and Smackle. They got mad at me, telling me I should stay away from you since I'm a bad influence. Farkle, well, he tried to punch me but I dodged his fist." Logan averted his eyes from looking at Riley, continuing.

"I wanted to punch both of them. Especially Farkle. But... I knew you still love them as friends and I knew that if they were hurt, you would be too." Logan said in a small voice, ashamed at his confession for wanting to convert to his old side, the side before he met Riley.

The sides of the Brunette's mouth twitched upwards to form a small smile as she squeezed Logan's hand reassuringly. The sides of their bodies touched as they moved closer to one another, Riley laying her head on Logan's shoulder and Logan laying his head on top of Riley's head.

They stayed in that position for a while, a comfortable silence settling over them whilst their hands stayed interlocked together, as if once they let go, they could never hold each other again.

After a while, a knock came from the door, making Logan and Riley snap out of their silence, their backs straightening up as Riley got off the bed, approaching the door and unlocking it. In barged Wade, Kitty and Brandon, their faces showing concern for the two teenager previously alone in the room.

"Guys, I don't think they were done." Wade leaned towards Kitty and Brandon, edging closer to the door and turning on his heel, exiting the room but not before grabbing Kitty and Brandon by their shirt collars, pulling them after him.

Riley couldn't suppress the laughter bubbling up inside of her and before she knew it, she was holding her stomach, laughing one of her trademark laughs that seemed to have gone missing from her for a few months. Logan grinned, looking at the Brunette coughing awkwardly after laughing, her eyes twinkling as they met his.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Snow fell gently from the sky, decorating the night sky like paint splattered against a canvas. The bright stars twinkled behind, complimenting the bluish-white snowflakes against the black sky. The moon shone high up in the sky, casting a glow across New York that enchanted many.

Turning away from the window, Riley took a glance at herself in the full length mirror. Her wavy locks that were different shades of brown tumbled over her shoulders and over her back, her eyes shining as bright as the stars outside. Her lips were painted with a bright Christmas red, a huge contrast to her usual light pink lipstick that was barely visible. Her cheeks were a rosy red from the cold weather, making her cheeks look rounder and making her look rosier in result.

A scarlet long-sleeved dress clung to her waist, the hem reaching just slightly above her knees and the bottom half of the dress a flare skirt. Small gems were stitched at the hem of the dress, going upwards with the gems getting tinier. A pair of black tights clung to her legs to keep her warm and a pair of maroon ankle boots were worn on her feet. The whole outfit showed off her obvious hourglass figure and her athletic legs, definitely able to make everyone's jaws drop.

"Kitty's incredible..." Riley breathed, fidgeting with the sleeves of her dress as she stared at herself in the mirror. Before Kitty had passed Riley the outfit to change into, she had done Riley's makeup. Kitty had done a fantastic job, making Riley look like a modern day princess with the bold makeup and outfit look.

The group of teenagers had originally planned to have a small gathering in Josh and Andrew's dorm room but it turned out that NYU had planned a special Christmas Eve event for all the students who didn't go home. They would provide a scrumptious meal, some Christmas singing, games and relaxation time for the students to bond. The students were encouraged to bring family and friends to the event. Not only was it a great way to spend Christmas Eve, surrounded by your love ones and friends, but it was also completely free of charge. The only downside was that everyone was supposed to dress in smart casual, no pyjamas or sweatpants. Hence, Riley's choice of wear.

Running her fingers through her hair, someone rapped on her door. "Come in! The door's open." She said, turning away from the mirror and facing the door. The door clicked open, Kitty sweeping into the room with Brandon trailing her.

The Asian had her straight Auburn hair up in a high ponytail, curling the ends slightly to make her look girly and reminding Riley of a fairy. She wore an emerald green halter dress with a black strap around her waist, shaping her figure. Black heels were on her feet, boosting her height and making her reach up to Brandon's nose.

"I did such a fantastic job." Kitty joked, embracing Riley with a huge hug, her arms wrapping around Riley's waist and squeezing her tightly. "Actually, I think you did all the work Smiley Riley. You always look perfect no matter what." Kitty beamed, pulling away from the hug.

Riley flushed a deep shade of red, embarrassed at Kitty's compliment. "Do you like my Christmas present?" The Asian girl asked, flashing a grin. "You bought this for me?" Riley's eyes widened, fingering the silky fabric and looking over her outfit again.

"Kitty, I can't accept this gift. It must've cost you a ton of money!" Riley took Kitty's hands, squeezing them. She felt tears prickling her eyes, not because she was sad but rather the opposite. She was beyond joyful. Over the past years, no one had paid her much attention and treated her like a fly, pesky and annoying, always hovering around people even if they didn't want her attention. And now, this girl she only recently met was giving her such an expensive gift that it warmed her heart immensely.

"Who said I _bought_ it? I made it myself! I took some of my fabric and tiny gems out from my collection to make the outfit, except for the shoes of course." Kitty grinned, tweaking Riley's nose cheekily. Trembling, Riley brought her hands up to her mouth, covering the, in astonishment and surprise.

"Thank you so, so, so much!" Riley gratefully thanked, emphasising on each 'so', flinging her arms around Kitty's neck and hugging her tightly. Kitty let out an angelic laugh, patting Riley's back with the largest grin on her face.

Pulling apart, Riley wiped away her tears with the palm of her hands. "Are you ready to go?" Brandon asked, tapping his foot impatiently with his arms crossed over his chest. He shook his head as a goofy smile stretched on his face, making it the first time Riley had ever seen him smile so brightly. He looked directly at Kitty, adoration and pride in his eyes.

Flushing red, the Auburn haired teenager nodded her head and walked towards Brandon, gesturing for Riley to follow them. Brandon stuffed his hands into his black jeans, walking side by side with Kitty whose face was as red as Riley's dress. The two walked ahead, Riley purposely making her speed slower so the two lovebirds could have a private moment.

"Hey sugar, you lonely?" Zay asked, appearing out of nowhere and nudging Riley playfully. The sides of Riley's eyes crinkled as her face brightened up, playfully sticking her tongue out at the Texan. Zay shook his head, laughing, before complimenting Riley on her dress and makeup. As they walked down the hallway, the two chatted happily about the similarities they never knew they shared.

But one of the most important ones was how their grins were just to mask how broken they were.

Finally, they reached the large hall doors. They reached all the way up to the ceiling and Riley had to crane her neck to see the top. It was made of walnut wood, the dark and smooth appearance making the hall entrance grand, and the handles were a shiny gold that added the little extra rich vibe.

Pushing open the large doors, Zay and Riley were in a deep conversation, their hands flying all over the place with their mouths moving at a speed rivaling The Flash. When they turned their attention back to the hall, their eyes widened and their jaws dropped open.

Whoever that was in charge of this event had done a spectacular job redecorating the hall. From Josh's description, it used to be just a plain hall with plastic chairs for students to sit on and the lights flickering off frequently. But now, it was a stunning display of festive colours and whoever was in charge managed to squeeze in a large pine tree, smacking it right in the middle of the room. The large glittering gold star stood proudly on top of the tree, the tip grazing the ceiling. The baubles were painstakingly hung up in a perfect order of red, white, green, yellow and repeated another time.

Large circular tables were placed around the room, each group of family or friends having their own designated table. Students who had come alone were placed in a large table, all of them chatting happily and making new friends. The tablecloths were plain white whilst the chairs were velvet. A mini Christmas tree was placed in the centre of each table and instead of plain crockery, they were all a metallic gold.

Long tables aligned at the sides of the hall were currently being filled sky high with platters of delicious food, the scent wafting through the air and making Riley's stomach growl. Overall, everything about the hall screamed majestic and gorgeous.

"Hey Logan!" Riley greeted as soon as she spotted the the familiar tuft of Raven Black hair with those bluish green streaks amongst the black. As fast as lightning, Logan's body snapped in the direction of Riley's voice. When they laid their eyes on each other, they couldn't help the blush forming on their cheeks.

Logan's hair was styled back in a quiff, a huge contrast to his always unkempt and messy hair. He wore a plain red button down, his trademark leather jacket, proper black pants and a pair of bluish green converse shoes.

"I see you're still wearing your jacket and converse." Riley raised an eyebrow, cheekily mentioning with Kitty appearing behind Logan, folding her arms across her chest and huffing angrily. "I was pretty persistent with wearing my converse and jacket despite Kitty's threats." Logan shrugged, his hands in the said jacket's pockets.

Kitty threw her hands in the air, rolling her eyes with frustration as Brandon appeared behind the Asian, grabbing her hands in the air and bringing them back to her sides, dragging the now blushing Chinese mess to their table.

Stifling a giggle, Riley watched as her new Friend was escorted by Brandon before getting her chair being pulled out for her by the said guy. Sighing contently, Riley turned to the side and saw Logan staring at her, his hands dangling at his sides.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked insecurely, feeling her hands getting clammy and her chest rising and falling at a faster pace. Logan shook his head, taking both of Riley's hands discreetly as he took a step closer to her, their bodies now touching.

"You look breathtaking, as always." He complimented, the Brunette blushing the same shade as her dress humbly. He reached his hand upwards, taking a bouncy curl dangling in front of Riley's face and tucking it behind her ear, his heart pounding in his chest at a rate even faster than when he boxed.

Suddenly, at the corners of her eyes, Riley spotted one _very_ familiar person whom she had shown how to be as beautiful as she was on the inside, get with her best guy Friend, try her very best to help her to be less robotic and basically showing her that intelligence wasn't everything.

She looked out of place, standing alone in the crowd, her eyes wide in alarm as her head whipped in all directions, most probably trying to find somebody. She looked absolutely terrified and from where Riley was standing, the girl was trembling. Her hands were clasped together and pressed against the front of her dress, no doubt clenching and up clenching the fabric in fear.

Just as Riley pulled away from Logan, the girl's eyes finally settled on Riley and they widened even larger but the fear was now not the only emotion in her eyes. Relief and happiness was in there too. Her hands unclenched the hot pink fabric and she found her way through the maze of a crowd to Riley.

"Riley." She breathed as soon as she neared the former, her chest falling as she bit her lip, unsure of how to continue. She stood rooted to the ground, as stiff as a cardboard and completely unsure as to whether she should embrace the Brunette or stay still.

She licked her lips whilst her hands still remained at her sides, the rims of her eyes red and her face puffy, as if she had been crying. However, Riley still remained silent, staring at the Raven haired girl in shock. A million thoughts raced through her mind but one stood out, as clear as day.

"Smackle," She started, the genius slightly brightening up as the Brunette greeted her. "What are you doing here?" Riley continued, forcing the words out of her mouth and gulping at what was to come.

"And what the hell gives you the right to re-enter Riley's life again?" Logan added, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood slightly in front of Riley protectively, tilting his head to the side and beckoning for Smackle to continue.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter! Please review, Favourite and follow! Before I end of this chapter, I'd like to give a huge thank you to y'all for all the incredible support. Y'all are the most amazing people in this universe and I love y'all so much. I told Uniquely Blonde I would place the official ship names list here but my list got deleted so I'm gonna have to write it again. I promise, I'll put it in the next chapter. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	15. Chapter 15

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyy y'all! Before I start, I'm really so, so, so, so sorry for taking so long to update! I have no excuse except I've been binge watching a lot of YouTube videos and checking for any new Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailers repeatedly. Like every hour. Anyway, before I start replying to the reviews, who's excited for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2? I'm not cos I'm really, really, really excited for it! Guardians of the Galaxy is such an amazing movie, with amazing Actors and Actresses, with such a great plot and I have to stop here or else I'll start rambling. Anyway, here are the replies to chapter 14!**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Guest**

I've just updated, as you can see. I'm so sorry for taking so long!

 **Guest**

Sorry for the super late update! I'll try my best to write and update faster.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :)) I'm planning on writing a Josh x Wendy fanfic but I don't have a lot of time so I'll probably post it in June since I have no school during the who,e entire month of June. I'm so sorry for the later update and thank you a agin! :D

 **Guest**

Updated! Thank you! :)

 **RucasLover24**

Oh my gosh, are we long lost sisters or something? You have so much in common with me/I have so much in common with you, it's insane! :D Thank you! :) Whenever I'm down, I read the reviews from this fanfic and y'all never cease to brighten my day. I love every single review y'all post and it always warms my heart to read them. I freaking love you so much as well! :D I won't mention what you told me not to mention but I'd just like to say, it's okay and I've been through the same thing. I'm still going through the same thing as a matter of fact. My OTP is Bughead as well! They're just so adorable! Betty is all goody two shoes in front but it's nice to know she has a darker and more vulnerable side that she feels she can only trust Jughead with. It shows how much she loves him and can actually trust that he won't run away from her darker side. Thank you for understanding my late updates! I always try to write as fast as I can but my life is really hectic and it doesn't help that I have a lot of pressure in school and family. Sometimes I just feel like curling up in a ball and crying but I just have to keep a front you know? I know, it's been one month since I've updated and I'm so freaking sorry. Thank you for your review! :) Love ya! 3

 **Lolly**

Thank you! :) It's nice to know that my writing cheered you up. There is more Wade in this chapter and I'm planning for him to have a love interest as well? There will be an important vote involving Wade so be sure to read the rest of my Author's note. I hope you're better now! :D Kitty will be giving more handmade gifts along with one or two bought gifts. Kitty really is something special. Thank you! :D I hope you're much better now and thank you for going out of your way to write a review despite feeling sucky. I'm not really sure if I have enough time to write a Wendy and Josh fanfic but I'll try my best. :D

 **Uniquely Blonde**

No problem! I'm just happy you reviewed! :)) Thank you! :D Riley and Kitty will kinda be the new Rilaya friendship in a way but with less overshadowing from any of them. Ziley friendship is just so fun to write! My approach on them though is a bit darker with both of them hiding their broken selves underneath laughter and smiles. I feel like Wendy would make such a great Mother already. Wendy and Logan? Hahahaha, do you mean Wendy and Josh? XD Riley and Kitty would be the playful friendship but they will be serious in serious times. Logan's overprotectiveness is really fun to write. Hahaha, there are quite a number of ship names and I've decided I should just create a separate fanfic about the characters and their ship names. Can you imagine Josh standing up to his older Brother for Riley and saying something along the lines of, "I'm more of a Father figure than you are! And I'm only a college student!" Hahahaha :)) I'm planning on Kitty being the one that kinda gives fashion advice to peopl in the group. I can imagine her just arguing with Logan about his leather jacket and how predictable his clothes wear is everyday. I mean, everyone had a creative side. Riley with decorating, Farkle with fashion, Lucas with the way he views things and people, etc. Being a Weasley would be so cool! Imagine riding dragons with Charlie Weasley, pulling pranks with Fred and George, eating with Ron and basically having loads of fun! That's exactly what I thought. In season one they were just so into Rucas but started to give up in season 2 before completely giving up in season 3. Exactly! The last episode, they still managed to make it about Maya despite Riley's family problem. I hope you're having fun in psychology! :) It's true that any type of sibling sucks but at least we're not the only child. Woah! That's so deep. What other interesting psychology facts do you have? We should both just join Master Chef. I'd bet we would win first place since we're such amazing cooks. :D I used to think the Percy Jackson series was the number one series but now, I feel like it's tied in first place with Harry Potter. JK Rowling and Rick Riordan are such great authors with amazing plot twists, well developed characters and fantastic cliffhangers. In the Harry Potter movies, I really wanted to see the part where Bill Weasley met Fleur and at least see how Charlie looked like. I really wished there were more RemusxTonks scenes though. They should really make a Marauders' movie too. Me too! I really don't like the ship Hinny. It was kinda rushed as well, how Harry suddenly had these feelings towards Ginny. No offence to Hinny shippers but their relationship was just so rushed and not well developed. If I had to ship Harry with a girl, it'd be Hermione, hands down. Dumbledore and Fawkes? That's a really weird ship. It's basically shipping a Wizard with a Phoenix. Hahahha, Fremione does make sense when I think about it but my number one ship is still Drarry. I don't know why but I just started shipping them even before I read the books? I just started reading The Maze Runner and it's already so good! Gally is so annoying already, Minho is just freaking amazing, Newt is a smol bean and Thomas is a confused misjudged guy. So far, I'm shipping Newt and Thomas already. I watched a few clips from the Shadowhunters TV series and all my friends tell me to ship Malec. I watched a few clips of the, and I have to admit, they're so cute. :D I just realised I literally listed three gay ships already. Anyway, oh my gosh! I've been dying to watch the crossover series but I've been so busy lately. What's '10 Things I Hate About You' about? I really wanted to watch Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them as well but I've just been so busy. Eddie Redmayne is such a talented actor! You should watch Jupiter Ascending if you haven't. Eddie played the villain and he played it so well. I like Chainsmokers as well! My favourite singer would have to be Shawn Mendes, Alessia Cara, Daya, Louisa Johnson, Zara Larsson and Selena Gomez. For bands, it'll be Twentyone Pilots as my favourite band and also Panic! At The Disco, Clean Bandit and a bit of My Chemical Romance. I used to be addicted to One Direction and even memorised the front part of their music video. I was a weird child. Still am weird actually. :D Anyway, what are your hobbies? I love drawing, painting, reading, writing, baking, Swimming, playing Badminton and Squash.

 **Guest**

I don't actually have a scheduled time for updating but I mostly update once every two weeks. Thank you! :D We will be seeing Lucas and Maya during the Winter Formal. Thank you so much! :))

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :) Oh, Logan's not that much of a gentleman in the front part of this chapter. He may be a bit cold towards Smackle now but after a while, he'll calm down like how he calmed down with Zay. I really Kitty too! She'll be playing a major role in the upcoming chapter with the Winter Formal! Spoiler!Kitty will be inviting Riley over to stay at her house and they'll both bond over many things and help each other with their problems. You're story sounds amazing! A backwards story is so original and unheard of and I cannot wait to read it! Please send the link to me or something! I'm sure it'll be amazing to read. :D Yes! There's so many episodes where Riley is under-appreciated, unloved and cast aside for Maya. There will be a Riley and parents chapter soon. Riley will definitely fight back and there will be shouting. Those are really great suggestions and I might be using them, if you would allow it of course. :))

 **RucasLover24**

Aww, thank you so much! :D I love Riverdale! This is such a coincidence! :)) I know what you mean. Riverdale is a bit different than GMW but in a good way! I feel like Lucas is Archie, Riley is Betty, Maya (in this fanfic) is Cheryl and Logan is Jughead. Is Mortal Instruments a good series? I've watched a few of the TV clips and I'm already shipping Malec so hard! They're so freaking adorable in the TV show (from the clips I've seen) and I can't wait to find the series and binge read it! Thank you! :D That means a lot to me! You're one of my favourite people in this galaxy and even though we've never met face to face, I feel like I can trust you too! You're always so nice with your reviews and you seem like Riley. You're a ray of sunshine and an absolute joy to talk to! :) Hahaha, there is a bit of drama coming up. Thank you so, so, so much! :D Your reviews always brighten my day without fail and make me smile no matter what. OH MY GOSH! I ship Bughead as well! They're such a cute couple! Okay, Bughead is my no. 1 ship but I kinda also ship BettyxArchie. I can't help it! It's probably my Barchie heart from reading the comics. I also ship Joaquin and Kevin. I really like Reggie for some reason cos I feel like he's kinda misjudged and probably has a dark backstory. Three people that can go die in the show is Ms Grundy (even though she left), Jughead's dad and Chuck. There's more people I don't like but those three are the main ones. Cheryl isn't included since she can be nice when she wants to be. Plus, she's super sassy and salty which I can kinda relate to on a certain level? Who's the character from Riverdale you can relate to the most? Mine would have to be a mix though, between Betty and Cheryl.

 **AlchemyBlue**

Thank you! :)) Hahaha, I'm just a sucker for all things Flash! Oh my gosh, I should add in a character called Barry Allen in here! :D

 **Guest**

Thank you!n :D There will be a bit of Wendy and Josh in this chapter but the next chapter might include a kiss between the two of them... *wiggles eyebrows* I love them too! Although that might be a bias opinion considering I created Wendy's character.

 **bnooka**

Thank you! :) Riley won't be forgiving easily. The only people Riley will forgive easily is Zay, Smackle and Auggie. Her parents will definitely try to win Riley back but Riley won't budge easily, so don't worry!

 **volleyballer82**

Hahahahaha :D Me too, I feel so freaking mad at myself for writing such adorable characters. I'm so jealous of Riley! I'm sure there will be a guy that will be nice to you. You just gotta keep looking! ;) Hahhaha:)) I get what you mean! Lucas is great but also not that great. I feel like Smackle's excuse isn't as good as Zay's since Smackle is less sensitive than Zay and she's not very good with expressing her emotions but at least Spoiler!she apologised! Maya may be coming back sooner than you think... Me too! I just hate how people make out Riley to be the villain but Maya as the perfect angel! Riley was literally the bestest Friend anyone could ask for. She had Maya's back for everything, supported her art, her family, her problems, basically everything! She even gave up Lucas for Maya! You know what's better than jealous Lucas? Jealous Logan! *wiggles eyebrows* Rucas is my OTP in the show, obviously, and hence why Lucas will not be a villain in this fanfic. I'm really excited as well to see what I can come up with next!

 **Guest AB**

Find out what happens with Smackle in this chapter! :) Patience child, they might take a while to get together (if they win the votes between Rogan or Rucas) as I'm mainly focusing on friendship right now.

 **Bri**

Updated, as you can see. ;) Aww, thank you! :)) Truthfully, things have been going downhill currently but I can cope. Thank you, it's really nice to know that I have a Friend in you. I believe in you too. Hope everything's okay for you. :D And if not, just remember you're incredible.

 **Cayla**

Thank you! :)) Just updated as you can see, although it's really cringey like me.

 **acoleman3231**

(Replied to you through Private Message cos I thought you sent your review through PM.)

 **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the lovely reviews! Y'all never cease to brighten my day with your reviews and I always feel better after reading them. Thank y'all so much for the support, favourites and follows. Before I start Chapter 15, may I please request for all Guests to have a Guuest name so I know whether I've replied to you in the last chapter? Alright, please read this part! It's really important. I'm planning Wade's love interest and I have a Google Form for y'all to fill out! There's only three questions so please fill the form out. Thank you! (Since won't allow me to put in the proper link, please add in the usual link to Google Docs before putting it in front of the second half of the link below)**

 **Link:**

 _Add this behind the Google part of the link -_

forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMbsGr_Lkk21SKgxufLXjWIi0RZthhfgYFqMhR3is8kNP3og/viewform?usp=sf_link

 **If you don't know what the Google Docs link is, please search online. If there are any difficulties, please alert me in by reviewing! Without further ado,** **here is chapter 15 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

"Can I have a moment with Smackle?" Riley asked, still looking straight at the genius in front of her but directing the question towards Logan. The leather jacket wearing teenager sighed, uncrossing his arms and shooting Smackle one last final glare before turning on his heel, marching to the table where all his friends were.

Riley didn't feel as courageous without Logan and resisted the urge to start breaking down under Smackle's intense stare. "Riley Matthews, you were the first person that never teased me about my almost robotic behaviour and taught me how to be like any other teenager. And for that, I am very grateful." Smackle stopped, knitting her eyebrows together and choosing her next words carefully.

"I know I haven't been the greatest friend lately and I would like to sincerely apologise. After I saw you with new people, I tried to put myself in your shoes. I looked at all the moments you spent with us and I realised that if I were you, I would feel broken right now. How did you cope with everything?" She looked up from her shoes, her eyes boring into Riley's warm ones.

Riley knew immediately that smackle knew what was going on. She was a genius, loved solving problems and questions so she was bound to figure out why the Brunette had detached herself from the group.

Whilst Riley thought of a way to answer Smackle, the genius noticed how different Riley looked compared to the first time she met the perky Brunette. Her eyes were downcast, filled with sadness, loneliness and portrayed the image of a broken soul. Her bright grin that always brightened up a room and was found to be constantly on her face was now wiped off clean, replaced with a thin line. It was small things but since Smackle was an observer, she wondered how she never noticed how sad Riley looked nowadays.

Riley blinked away the tears that prickled her eyes and she took a steady breath, all her past memories flooding back into her mind in a huge wave. "I pretended to be happy. I pretended to smile. I pretended to laugh. I pretended to be fine." Her voice wavered a bit as she spoke, her eyes flitting down to her shoes for a second.

"And none of you noticed." She said under her breath, thinking the loud noises coming from everyone would hide her words.

Unfortunately for Riley, Smackle had a keen sense of hearing and managed to catch the last part Riley said. When those words entered Smackle's ears, they rang in her head, louder and clearer each time. She looked absolutely stunned, her jaws dropped wide open and her intelligent eyes widened considerably larger.

"I'm noticing now." Smackle said in a small and vulnerable voice, ashamed that she was part of the problem that made Riley broken.

Riley felt tears welling up in her eyes, the wet and big drops slowly falling down her face like the snowflakes outside, slowly drifting to the ground before dissolving. Without a moment's hesitation, Riley and Smackle closed up the gap between them, wrapping their arms around each other and squeezing tightly.

"I must say, I'm getting better at this." Smackle whispered, her eyes closed shut. Riley gave a beautiful laugh that filled Smackle's ears, a laugh only meant for the latter which warmed Smackle's heart.

"I leave for a moment and Smackle's here?" Zay shouted, appearing at the girls' sides like magic before wrapping his arms around both of them. The three of them stood pressed together, their hearts pounding in happiness at the reunion.

"Would you like to join us?" Zay asked, receiving an uncertain and slightly uncomfortable look from Riley. Sure, the Brunette was now on better terms with the female genius but she wouldn't say they were on good terms. Riley was still healing from the wounds Smackle had carved into her heart and the latter had only just apologised to Riley.

Fortunately for Riley, the black haired genius shook her head, biting her bottom lip. "I'm sorry but I'll have to decline your offer since I'm having dinner with the other three of the gang." Smackle admitted truthfully, warming Riley's heart that at least Smackle was trying to tell her the truth, no matter how harsh it was.

Riley nodded her head, feeling her heart break slightly at the thought of four out of six of the gang celebrating Christmas Eve without her. It wasn't that she was selfish but Riley always spent Christmas Eve with her friends. She put in more than a truckload of effort into the Christmas Eve parties she organised, each year having a different theme and venue to celebrate the winter event.

But now, it was as if all her years of effort to make Christmas Eve a happy event for all of them was forgotten. Her ideas, organising and countless of sleepless nights for the Christmas Eve parties she planned could be replaced in a snap, just like her.

"I'll be back here tomorrow to give both of you your gifts." Smackle mustered up a bright grin, her pink lips making her blinding white teeth more outstanding. Zay raised an eyebrow, cheekily poking Smackle's arm and saying, "My gift better be amazing."

Smackle rolled her eyes before giving Riley another hug, a bit stiffer than the previous one but still comforting, none the less. The Raven haired girl waved her hand rather awkwardly before turning her back towards her two friends, walking towards the doors of the hall, leaving the hall after shooting them one last grin.

"Are you okay?" Zay asked, making Riley's head snap towards him, looking slightly dazed. Riley opened her mouth, about to answer before closing her jaw shut, pondering if she could indulge her private thoughts in Zay.

Sure, she forgave Zay but that didn't mean she fully trusted him. Even when they were close friends, Zay would blurt out her secrets willingly, referring to them as 'Good Riley Stories'.

So, with guilt rising in her chest, she opted for an uncertain nod, mentally punching herself for lying to her friend. 'You have to tell someone...' She thought to herself. She knew that if she didn't share her private thoughts, they would somehow get blurted out sooner or later and at the wrong time. Now that she thought about it, all her deepest secrets had been outed by Farkle. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of all the memories of Farkle that flooded into her mind.

"Knicksie?" Logan's voice entered her mind, snapping her out of her reminisce of Farkle. Riley waved her hand half-heartedly, signalling that she was fine but all she wanted to do was to curl up in a ball and cry.

Zay smacked Riley on her arm and sharp pain shot up her arm, making her flinch away from the Texan. Logan gave Zay a look, to which the latter responded with inching backwards before taking off in a run towards their table.

"Tell me later." Logan squeezed Riley's hand, giving her another one of his signature lopsided grins that made her melt. The Brunette kept her head down as she blinked back her tears, not believing how well Logan knew her. He only had to take a single glance at Riley to know what was going on.

And she couldn't help but feel her heart quickening its pace as Logan gave her another reassuring grin.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"I am stuffed." Wade smacked his stomach, licking his lips and tasting the sweet cranberry sauce from the turkey. Everyone laughed in response, even Riley, whose mood had been dampened for a short while before skyrocketing again due to everyone around the table.

"The whole way into this meal and we still don't know who this guy is..." Brandon blurted out of nowhere, his usual sarcastic and moody demeanor shining through that sentence as he looked pointedly at Zay. Kitty slapped his arm, shooting him a deadly glare that made him recoil back in shock and fear for a moment.

"That's just the most ugliest guy known on Earth. In fact, I think it's a wild beast." Riley said, peering up from her plate of turkey, trying to stifle her laughter. Zay raised an eyebrow, placing his hands over his chest as he leaned away from Riley. "Ouch, that's just harsh Sugar." Zay replied, faking a hurt expression.

"He kinda looks like a squirrel." Wade piped up, pointing his fork at Zay. Waving the fork in the air, he raised a suspicious eyebrow at the Texan, squinting his eyes at him. "You sure you not part squirrel?" Wade asked with an over enthusiastic amount of curiosity. "I'm pretty sure he's part rabbit!" Josh added. This started an arguement between everyone, except Zay, for what animal Zay reminded them of.

"I'm still here you know!" Zay exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air with an exasperated look on his face. Zay rolled his eyes jokingly, childishly sticking out his tongue at everyone, making the group of teenagers laugh loudly and in result, turning some heads in their direction.

Suddenly, Wendy came out of nowhere, swooping in next to Riley. With a hand perched on Riley's shoulder, Wendy gave a tiny wave to everyone. "I just wanted to come over and invite you all to join my table for the after dinner activities." Wendy said, her cheeks turning bright red when she caught Josh's eyes.

Squirming slightly underneath her crush's stare, it was as if Josh only had eyes for Wendy, which was understandable. She was wearing a gorgeous knee-length off shoulder white dress, her obvious collarbone fully exposed. The floral pattern made by the thin layer of lace placed on top of the plain white material made her look more down to earth if that was even possible.

"Yes!" Josh replied enthusiastically, nodding his head repeatedly. A blush formed on Wendy's cheeks as she nodded her in head in return, turning on her heel and walking back to her table, not before casting one last look over her shoulder at Josh.

Riley caught Josh's eye across the table as the former wiggled her eyebrows cheekily, a triumphant smirk plastered across her face. "Riley..." Josh warned, his face flaming as he pointed a finger at her, shooting his Niece a look which told her to not cross the line.

The Brunette simply nodded her head, the smirk still on her face as she stifled a giggle, leaning to her right to whisper into Logan's ear. After a few words were exchanged between the two, Logan looked up and joined Riley in wiggling their eyebrows childishly at Josh.

The college student shook his head, putting his head into his hands in embarrassment.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"Thank you! Yes, I know. I'm simply magnificent." Wade joked as he bowed repeatedly, waving his hand the way the Queen of England would. Blowing kisses at everyone, he plopped himself down on the plush couch, sinking into the very cushioned seat.

After a few stiff minutes of mixing with people from the opposite group, Riley's group and Wendy's group had warmed up to one another and the large group was now happily singing some Christmas Carols without a care in the world.

The organising committee for this Christmas Eve event had showed each group to their own private lounge room to play games, make conversation and sing carols. They must have had a huge sponsor for the event since each room had been given a brand new majestic piano, that practically glowed.

The cosy lounge room had a few couches arranged neatly around, with pillows so fluffy that when you hugged it, it would feel like hugging a cloud. There was even a fireplace, with wood stacked up and blazing, with fire licking the wood and making them slowly burn to a crisp.

The wealthy Edwards family was surprisingly humble and kind for people of their status. They didn't flaunt their wealth and the only thing that proved they were well to do was their outfits. They were all dressed to the nines, jewellery adorning the women's necks, ears, fingers and hands, and silk ties hanging from the men's shirts.

"Next up to perform is..." Wendy's mother, who was quite a party host, rummaged inside an upturned hat, revealing a slip of neatly folded paper in her hands. Flashing a smile at everyone, Mrs Edwards unfolded the paper and once her eyes read the name on the slip, they looked up to meet Riley's.

"Riley Matthews!" Mrs Edwards' smile widened as Riley returned a polite smile in return. Steeling her nerves, Riley got up from the couch she was sitting on, her hands clammy as her heart pounded in her chest.

Hesitantly, she ordered herself to lift up her foot, moving one foot in front of the other repeatedly until she reached the side of the piano. Just as Riley was about to ask who could take Mr Edwards place and play the piano, Logan shot out of his seat, settling himself down onto the chair positioned in front of the piano.

"I have a feeling you need a pianist and moral support for this." Logan shot Riley a reassuring and comforting smile. "I don't need a pianist or moral support. I just need you." Riley whispered admittedly under her breath so that only both of them could hear her words.

Surprised at what she had just said, Riley and Logan blushed the same shade of red as her dress. "All I need is you too." Logan replied, reaching over and taking Riley's hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze.

Biting the corner of her lip, Riley felt tears welling up in her eyes, turning everything around her into blobs of colours. Touched by Logan's words, Riley turned around to face everyone and waited patiently as they slowly settled down, giving their fullest attention to the two teenagers.

Grateful that everyone had been busy with their own thing and had not seen or heard her intimate exchange with Logan, Riley blinked away her tears before anyone could spot them.

Leaning over to Logan, she whispered her song choice into his ear and his face immediately brightened up. "I don't want a lot for Christmas..." Riley started off slowly as the soothing piano chords filled the room, everyone leaning back into their seats in relaxation.

She continued the song, singing the words she had memorised by heart, nailing all the high notes and low notes. Her voice was like an Angel, managing to calm everybody in the room. It was so melodious and when she sang, she gave it her all and the world suddenly seemed entirely at peace.

And whilst she sang, everyone swayed along to the music and her voice, especially Logan. The black haired teenager was totally enchanted by her voice and he had to remind himself to stay focused on playing the right chords on the piano instead of getting distracted by her voice.

"Thank you." Riley blushed deeply, bowing her head humbly as everyone gave her a huge round of applause. Wade and Zay gave a few encouraging whistles which ended up in both of them competing to see who could whistle louder.

After the long round of applause and praises from everyone, Riley and Logan sat back down on their seats, which was side by side on one of the fluffy couches. "You were amazing." Riley complimented Logan, meaning every word she said.

Logan had played the piano beautifully, his fingers flying across the piano keys and managing to keep the beat of the song steady throughout the whole performance, an almost impossible feat.

Logan felt his cheeks heating up as he shot the Brunette one of his signature lopsided grins, his white teeth flashing as usual. "And you sang like an Angel, just as I had expected." Logan replied, making Riley feel like she was on cloud nine.

Muttering a 'thank you', they were interrupted by Josh, who had previously been in a deep conversation with Wendy. "Riles, I think you need to read this." Josh bit his lip, reaching into his pocket and taking out his phone, swiping the screen to unlock it before handing it to Riley hesitantly.

"I didn't want to show you this but I know how much you despise people keeping secrets from you, so..." Josh trailed off as Riley lifted up a trembling hand, feeding off Josh's worry and slight the phone from him, Riley took in a deep breath before she read the message:

 _Josh, can you bring Riley to our house tomorrow night? We want to celebrate Christmas dinner with the whole family, including her._

 _Cory and Topanga_

Looking up from the phone, Riley watched as Josh searched her face for any sign of emotion, his eyebrows knitted together as he waited for her to say something. Finally, Riley managed to find her voice and keeping a brave front, she answered back as calmly as she could.

"I'll go. I have to face them sooner or later." Riley firmly nodded her head, wondering if she chose the right option. The corners of Josh's mouth tugged upwards, showing a proud grin.

"But I'm bringing Logan to the family dinner." Riley said after catching Logan's eye. She had seen how worried he was, with how he kept wringing his hands repeatedly and she somehow just knew, he wanted to go with her.

Josh raised an eyebrow, looking between the two teenagers before shrugging his shoulders and heading back to his seat. Just as he turned his back to Riley, the Brunette quickly brisk walked out of the room, excusing herself as soon as she disappeared behind the main door.

With her back pressed against the wall, Riley leaned her head backwards against the wall. Squeezing her eyes, tears trickled down her face, one teardrop at a time. She could taste the saltiness of the tears as they slid into the small gaps at the sides of her mouth and she could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

"What else do they want to do to me?" She whispered under her breath vulnerably, biting down hard on her lips and letting her thoughts wander back to those blissful months that she had been living in ignorance.

Closing her eyes, she relived the happy memories she had before everything had happened. Cory and Topanaga showering her with love like parents should rightfully be doing, Farkle geeking out about the many topics he had studied, Lucas caring for her and many more.

But one stood out as always and the person connected to that memory had been the one who had carved the deepest into Riley's heart. From her Blonde hair, porcelain skin, rosy cheeks and lips that always moved no matter what, Riley could remember every detail of her. She had broken Riley, torn her into pieces and stabbed her in the back repeatedly.

"Why does she still have an impact on me..." Riley trailed off, all the unwanted memories of Maya resurfacing yet again, along with her insecurities and doubts. Too tired to fight back, Riley let those memories play in her head, again and again.

And she felt even more broken than before.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. It's about 3,000 words long and is probably one of the longest chapters I've written to make up for my very late chapter. Unfortunately, there's bad news. I'll be on a mini hiatus until 13th May as I have my Mid-Year Exams and I have to prepare for them. The exams make up 25% of my grade so I really have to focus on studying since the exams are in two weeks but I haven't even started working yet. I'm really, really sorry and I hope y'all don't hate me too much. Thank y'all so much for the support! Please review, favourite and follow. Especially review. Even if it's a negative review, please write it! I really appreciate any feedback, even if it had nothing to do with this story. Tell me more about yourselves or even if you have any problems, write a review! Anyway, thank y'all so much again and I'll see y'all in the next chapter.**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	16. Chapter 16

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyy y'all! HeroesOfOlympus back here again with Chapter 16 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken. I'm so sorry for releasing this chapter late. I had actually already finished writing this chapter but just as I was about to save it, my wifi crashed so everything was gone. I was going to rewrite it again but I had no time since I had my exams, hence my late update. But everything happens for a reason and I'm quite glad my wifi crashed as I feel this newer version of this chapter is much better and has a better storyline. Anyway, here are the replies to the Chapter 15 reviews!**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Guest AB**

Who knows what's going to happen? Just read chapter 17, which will be out soon, for what happens at the party. Auggie comes in the next chapter. Riley and her parents will kind of fix their relationship at the party but it won't be fully fixed. It will probably be fully fixed by New Years in this story. I hope I won't have to write Rilaya friendship cos honestly, their friendship is really toxic, what with Maya always wanting attention and Riley always giving up the things/people she has to Maya. Yes! I genuinely want Rogan to be end ship in this fanfiction but it's totally up to all of y'all when the voting segment comes in. As you can see, it's updated and I'll try to update faster. Thank you so much! :D

 **Guest**

I'm so freaking sorry I took so long to write. I have good news at the end so be sure to read my authors note underneath the replies!

 **Lolly**

Thank you! :)) I hope you're much better now. Aw, you have to watch Guardians of the Galaxy 2 though! It's an incredible show and the Dad!Yondu feels. The plot twist is incredible and the acting is on point, as always. I just read the Trials of Apollo book and Camp Half-blood Confidential. Thank you so much for the support! :D This chapter is 3,000 words which is 1,000 words more than usual so I hope you enjoy. There's not much drama in this one, just a new character and reintroducing two background characters from an earlier GMW episode. Also, Christmas gifts!

 **Guest**

I'm so sorry, I really am. I did originally finish writing Chapter 16 but my wifi crashed and everything disappeared so I had to rewrite it. But it's much better than the original I think.

 **RucasLover24**

Aww, THANK YOU! :D Yes! I can't believe Jason Blossom's own father killed him?! I can't wait for season 2 and I can't believe we have to wait for 2018 for it to come out. I know! Ross Butler absolutely nailed the role of Reggie Mantle but they showed some photos of the new Reggie Mantle on Instagram. I don't know if that is the determined actor to play Reggie but if it is, the guy does kinda have that 'bad guy' and jock look. Thank you so much for this review! :))

 **jusAbrokenGirl**

Thank you so much! :D If this is something you can relate to and you are the one in Riley's position, you can talk to me anytime if you want.

 **Guest**

Hahaha, I'm quite shocked as well. I'm not sure if I will be able to write the Jendy fanfiction but I have some good news related to new fanfics, so read the author's note below the replies. Thank you! :)) I love you and your replies!

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Thank you! :D I feel so bad for making Riley go through another heartbreak involving Maya. I didn't want Riley to fully forgive Smackle that easily because if I were Riley, I wouldn't be able to trust smackle completely since Riley was the one that told Smackle it was fine for her to be herself and stayed by her side. She was Smackle's first friend but Smackle still picked away over her even though Maya was the one that didn't really like Smackle. Thank you! I'm trying to improve my writing by expressing the emotions but I wasn't sure if I managed to completely show how the character felt. Riley and Kitty's friendship will be definitely different from Rilaya as they're both optimistic and they won't have a toxic relationship like Rilaya. They will both appreciate each other and never leave the other friend out of anything. I agree, Ziley friendship should've gotten more time on the show but at least they had the scene where Zay accepted Riley's apology for the cookie. Thank you! I thoroughly enjoy writing Ziley friendship. Wendy is such mother material though. Hahaha, I get what you mean. Whenever I stay up late, I tend to say the wrong things or mix up my words. I'm so excited to write Riley and Kitty friendship! It's not exactly a fanfic about the characters information but rather like an information book? I don't really know yet. When Josh does that, I'm planning for everyone in the Matthews family to be so shocked because they knew Josh was sassy but they never thought he would be that sassy. I wanted Kitty to be a fashionista to defy the stereotypes of nerdy Asians that always just study and have no other talent than good grades. I mean, Maya shouldn't be the only one with a creative side. They only showed Maya's art and Lucas' guitar skills but no one else got any creative talent. Even though Lucas could play the guitar, that skill wasn't as appreciated as Maya's art skills. Season 1 was more of figuring out who they were but seasons 2 and 3 were just the whole triangle problem. I kind of expected more from the last episode but it was so disappointing. That sounds so fun! However, what did you guys psychoanalyse each other? Woah! Is that a true fact? Wait, of course it is done you said 'fact'. That's so cool! We would be worldwide famous for being the best chefs and best masterchef winners. I know, our cooking skills are so amazing, Gordon Ramsay is jealous of them. Hahaha. I think I may have a huge addiction with books. I literally finished three books in a day, which is pretty unhealthy since my eyesight will get worse. I would really want to reach JK Rowling's and Rick Riordan's level of writing but I think I'll probably need a few more millions of years to reach their level. The movies missed out quite a number of scenes but they're just so good and addicting. Also, all the actors absolutely nailed the characters and I loved that at least they managed to mostly nail the characters' appearances and at least the chose actors close to the age of the characters, unlike the Percy Jackson movies. A Marauders movie would be everything I ever dreamed of though. At first, I thought Hermione and Harry would get together at the end because they just had so much potential to be a couple but all of a sudden, Harry started to like Ginny. Dumbledore and Fawkes would be super awkward to read unless maybe Fawkes used to be Dumbledore's girlfriend or something but got turned into a Phoenix by a wizard who held a grudge against Dumbledore. How did I even just come up with that? Sometimes I read Harry and Hermione fanfictions since they're kind of my second otp now. I haven't had time to finish the first book so I'm planning to finish it soon. Minho is already such a sassy lil boy and he's just such a sweetheart sticking up for Thomas like that. I think Minho's my favourite character already. Me too! I watched the movie before the book and I was already shipping those two, they have so much potential to be a couple. I really want to watch the Shadowhunters TV show but I need to finish rewatching seasons 1 and 2 of The Flash, watch season 3 of The Flash, all seasons of Arrow, all seasons of Supergirl, all seasons of DC's Legends of Tomorrow and 13 Reasons Why. That is a really long list, lol. At first, I didn't know who made up the Clace ship but I asked my friends who are huge Shadowhunters fans and they said it's Clacy and Jace. Wait, were they those two in the Ariana Grande music video for 'Almost is Never Enough'? I think I'm addicted to shipping ships that will never happen, which are usually the gay ones. I'll definitely watch the crossover episodes no matter what. I saw short clips of them and they're already so amazing! '10 things I hate about you' sounds like a really interesting movie and I think I'll watch it soon. Apparently Twentyone Pilots has one of their songs from the Blurryface album inside the upcoming Power Rangers movie. I like being weird and I think that everyone is weird/quirky in their own way but the 'weird' parts of them are actually the most interesting parts of them. We have a lot of things in common actually! My favourite series besides Percy Jackson and Harry Potter is The Hunger Games as well, The Dark Minds trilogy, and the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series. Good luck on your tests if you haven't taken them yet and I hope you do well! What are your favourite colours? Mine's green, black, rose gold and silver. Also, what's your dream job? I really want to become a author but apparently it's 'unrealistic' and I'm not sure if my writing can make the cut to be published. So, besides author maybe a lawyer? I'm apparently good at making a point and convincing people. Also, it sounds really interesting to defend someone against an injustice and a crime they did not commit.

 **EmoTrinity3**

Thank you! :D Hahaha, as you can see, it's updated ;)

 **volleyballer82**

Thank you! :)) Unfortunately, this chapter is not the Christmas dinner but an introduction of a new character and the reintroduction of two characters that were in a previous GMW episode. Thank you for the luck! I exceeded my expectations for the exams but my parents want me to get higher and I agree with them.

 **RucasLover24**

Hahaha, it's really nice to know my replies make you this happy! :D Betty and Archie are adorable but Betty and Jughead? They're really, really, really cute! After the last episode, I can say that Bughead is my number one otp in Riverdale and Barchie is second. Actually, maybe Barchie is third. Joaquin and Kevin are so adorable too! The first episode of Riverdale had so many Barchie feels and that moment when Betty was outside her house and asked Archie if he loved her, was just too much heartbreak for me in a few minutes. I can't believe it too! We're so similar, maybe we're doppelgangers with same brains or something? :D I feel like I'm kind of Betty and Cheryl because like Cheryl, I can sometimes be quite salty to people and I'd go to far measures just to protect my siblings. For Betty, I put on a happy front most of the time but sometimes my smiles parents exactly as real as they appear to be, you know? But most of the time when I'm with my friends, I'm really genuinely happy. Like Betty, I also have a much darker side and I'm happy that I have my best friend to turn to and she's the only one that's seen the dark side of me and I'm really happy that when I opened up to her, she still stayed by my side and encouraged me. She doesn't treat me any different which is what I really love about her (as a friend, of course). Reggie just doesn't get enough screen time! YAS! Reggie and Veronica would be so cute together. I feel like they would make a really great couple. I want to watch 13 Reasons Why but I have no time. :( I'm planning to watch it soon though! I get what you mean. I have a lot of TV shows to watch. The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl, are just a few. I watch like little clips of Malec and they're just so adorable! Thank you for review this chapter once again and just being such an amazing person in general. :D Lots of love to you!

 **GuestAB**

Rogan is my OTP and I'm Glad you love rogan so much! :) I Guess you'll have to find out in the next chapter... ;) I don't want to reaveal too much.

 **Jolly**

Thank you so much! :D Unfortunately, the family dinner is in the next chapter since I'm introducing a new OC and reintroducing two characters from a previous GMW episode. She will be calm at first but yell later and her parents will definitely yell back. However, the family will absolutely start to listen once Logan chimes in. Once I get all Riley's old Friends to understand Riley's point of view, Maya will suffer alone for a while and reflect on what she had done. She will understand after a long time and she will apologise. Maya getting a happy ending is completely up to y'all and Rilaya friendship is also depending on all the readers. Thank you! :) Next person, is in fact Farkle. Then Lucas. Farkle and Riley will take some time to mend their friendship since Farkle doesn't know who's side to be on since both girls have been his friends since young. I will continue to write. If you do have 'fake friends' don't act immediately or call them out. Just wait for a while and see if they really are fake friends. Are they using you for something? Do they exclude you out of the things they do? Thank you for the luck! :D I wish you the best of luck for your AP tests and I hope you ace them!

 **Guest**

I'm not sure how Riley is going to get through the dinner but at least she has Josh and Logan by her side. Also, the other members of the Matthews family have no idea that Riley and her parents are not on good terms so that will be a plus for Riley in a way. I feel so bad for making her original friends so mean but hey, at least she got to meet Kitty, Wade, Brandon and Logan! :D As you can see, it's updated. ;)

 **Book-loved11189**

Thank you so much! :D I'm not sure if I'm an amazing writer though but I certainly try my best to write and not disappoint y'all. I haven't seen Chicago Pd but I'll certainly add that to my long list of TV shows I have to watch. I was just thinking the exact same thing! Except maybe Maya can go fall in a hole filled with poisonous scorpions. That's actually not a bad idea, maybe Riley should punch kaya since Riley know how to box now. ;)

 **Anyway, I have some excellent new for all of y'all! I have recently ended school and I have one whole month to just catch up on TV shows, revise my work (HAHAHA), hang out with my friends and best of all, write faster and longer chapters! My goal is to update once a week, maybe even once every four days, if I don't have too much work to do. Thank y'all so much for the incredible reviews! Please review, your reviews mean more than the world to me and even if it's just a few words, please write it if you want to. Before I start, I would like to dedicate this chapter to a certain Friend of mine who just flew over to US. Thanks for being so supportive and encouraging of my fanfiction, and I'm sorry you couldn't get a cupcake today. Anyway, here is Chapter 16 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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There was a time when Maya used to be the one who held Riley in her arms, stroking the Brunette's hair and whispering consoling words that instantly calmed her down. They would always turn to one another when troubled, knowing the other would willingly comfort the other with no complaints.

Whenever Riley cried, which was once in a blue moon, the Blonde was Riley's cornerstone. They were the best of friends, almost like sisters. But then, that all went downhill.

Now, Riley sat alone in Josh's dorm, leaning against the wall, her arms wrapped around her legs, which were pulled to her chest. She had rushed back to Josh's dorm after her breakdown outside the lounge room, not in the mood to celebrate Christmas Eve any longer or face any passer-bys bombarding her with questions.

She wore an oversized NYU sweatshirt that belonged to her uncle, with her hair twisted up into a messy bun at the top of her head. The sweatshirt reached mid-thigh, the soft navy blue fabric almost enveloping her in a fluffy hug, as if it knew the pain Riley had just gone through and was trying it's best to comfort her.

She sat in silence, no thoughts running in her mind or any emotions expressed on her face. After crying her eyes out, she was just too tired. She couldn't think straight or even determine what she was feeling right now. All she knew was that she was sick of crying and she was in absolutely no mood to interact with anybody.

Suddenly, a fist sounded against the wooden door softly before slowly creaking open, a tall figure entering the room. Logan stood in the middle of the dorm, the previously worried and scared look completely wiped off his face, now replaced with relief.

However, it soon changed into sadness and concern when Logan took one look at Riley's blank face, with obvious signs that the Brunette had been crying. "Oh, Queen." He whispered, many mixed feelings consuming him as he hesitantly took a single step towards her.

When Riley continued to show no expressions and remained in her vulnerable position, Logan immediately approached Riley. He sat down cautiously next to her, as if the slightest noise would scare her away. With the sides of their bodies pressed together, he moved an arm around her shoulders and rubbed circles on her arm in silence.

Soon, she snuggled closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder as the two sat in silence once again, their eyes shutting close whilst all their real life horrors flashed in their minds. But somehow, they weren't scared one bit since they had each other.

And that's all that mattered.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"Merry Christmas!" A female voice gently exclaimed, waking the three boys in the room. Riley beamed from ear to ear, turning on her heel to open the blinds as the bright sunlight streamed through the window.

Multiple groans came from the three males as they complained about the intensity of the light shining into their eyes and waking up early on a public holiday. Rolling her eyes teasingly, she flicked her fingers against Logan's head as he groaned.

With a grin on his face and his eyes still shut, he grabbed a pillow and placed it over his face, trying to block out the sunlight. Shaking her head with a soft smile on her face, Riley looked over to the two college students, Riley saw Josh and Andrew spread out on the latter's bed, their long limbs entangled together.

Wait, why was Josh sleeping on Andrew's bed?

Trying to recall last night's events, Riley remembered Logan holding her in his arms as Riley slowly drifted off to sleep, beyond tired from crying. Her head turned towards Josh's bed and a realisation dawned unto her.

Josh and Andrew must have entered the dorm after the activities, only to see Logan propped up against the wall with Riley's head on his lap, the two teenagers fast asleep. Shaking away those thoughts from her head, Riley turned her attention back towards the three groaning males who were all currently still lying on the beds.

"There's a café down the street that's open and it looks like the time for their last order is in one hour..." Riley trailed off, appearing nonchalant as if she didn't care if the boys were even listening to her at all.

"Also, it appears they have a fifty per cent discount for all students." She added as an afterthought.

The moment she uttered those words, Josh jolted out of the bed, his once relaxed position changing into an alerted one. He was now wide awake, eyes as circular as the sun in the sky and he felt as if he was ready to run a marathon. Andrew let out a little yelp of surprise at the sudden jerk of his bed and looked pointedly at Josh.

Since Riley was Josh's niece, she knew all his little quirks and one of them was that Josh was known to be quite stingy with his money. Ever since he received his first dollar. He always saved every cent possible, found the best deals and made sure that he was never being cheated out of his money. So, it was no surprise to Riley that Josh had jumped at the chance to save money on a meal, on Christmas no less.

"Get up!" Josh growled, grabbing the edge of the blanket covering Andrew and tugging on it with a force rivalling Hulk. He then proceeded to march over to Andrew's side, grabbing the latter by his arms, and dragging him across the bed and onto the floor.

Grabbing a pillow, he smacked Andrew repeatedly onto the face and finally, Andrew sat up, shooting daggers at Josh. Simply shrugging his shoulders, Josh gave an unapologetic look as Andrew slowly stood up, shooting one last glare at Josh before heading into the bathroom with a bunch of clothes in his hands.

Once Josh heard the sound of water running, he turned towards Logan, ready to wake the sleeping younger boy but was shocked. Logan had already gotten up, standing in an upright position with his back straight, arms placed stiffly at his sides, like his whole body was arranged perfectly into a straight line.

The 'bad boy' had an almost stern look on his face, with his dark eyebrows knitted together, eyes alert and flicking over every corner of the dorm, and his lips pursed. Looking over to see Riley's opinion, Josh caught his niece staring not so discreetly at Logan. Shaking his head with a soft smile on his face, Josh felt his heart warm with happiness that Riley was at least moving on from Lucas.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

"Gift time!" Riley grinned, showing off her cute dimples and her pearly white teeth. She plopped herself next to Logan on the floor, tucking her legs underneath her so that she was in a kneeling position. 'The Outcasts', Zay, Josh and Andrew sat huddled around a pile of Christmas presents in a circle, Zay already opening up a bag of freshly baked cookies made by Grandma Gandy.

Just as Zay, the ever impatient teenager, was about to start attacking the gift pile, a few knocks sounded against the wooden door. Groaning in frustration and anger, Zay shot up from his sitting position and stomped over to the door. "Seriously! I just want to open some gifts but I'm always interrupted-" Zay stopped short his rambling the moment he opened the door and his eyes settled on the three figures outside.

"Hey ladies, I'm single. And definitely ready to mingle." Zay winked flirtatiously, leaning against the doorway as casually as possible, which wasn't exactly that casual. "And they're all taken." A deep voice growled out of nowhere, a tall and muscular guy appearing at the side of the three girls, gesturing to the gorgeous girls standing outside.

Immediately, a look of genuine concern for his life flashed onto Zay's face and the Texan took a large step back, his hands put up defensively in front of him and sweat trickling down his forehead. In a blink of an eye, the cheeky teenager sat himself back down, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the room, especially the new guy.

"Hey Ge-Ge!" Kitty grinned from ear to ear, jumping up from her seated position and rushing towards the burly teenager, flinging her arms around the newcomer, bringing him in for a tight hug. "Mei-Mei, Merry Christmas! I'm so sorry I couldn't make it yesterday." The well-built teenager gave an apologetic smile, setting Kitty down onto the floor.

The newcomer was the tallest in the room, towering over everybody with his head almost grazing the ceiling. He had jet black hair styled up in an undercut, with the hair creating a fading effect from the top to the bottom. A few strands were dyed an electric blue, standing out amongst the dark hair. He had dark brown eyes with flickers of yellow in them when he tilted his head to the side, one of the rarest eyes Riley had ever seen.

Triple ring ear cuffs, that gleamed silver, were pierced onto the helix of his right ear gave him a slightly terrifying and edgy look. A pair of black plug earrings were inserted into his two lobes, definitely adding to how edgy he looked. A thin layer of eyeliner lined all around the outer perimeter of his eyes, making the yellow flickers against the brown of his eyes pop.

"Couldn't make it or didn't want to make it?" Wade bitterly spat, getting up and approaching the taller guy, surprising everyone with his new cold attitude. He stood chest to chest with the newcomer, his eyes narrowed and thickening the tension in the air. Crossing his arms over his chest, Wade waited for the stranger to answer, looking absolutely impatient and furious.

Kitty squeezed in between the two males, her bottom lip slightly trembling and tears glistening in her eyes. She said something incoherent that sounded suspiciously like her Mother tongue language, Chinese, but the two male Chinese seemed to understand what she was saying and both took a step back.

"Let's start opening presents, shall we?" Riley clapped her hands together, finally settling into a more comfortable position with her back propped up against the bed mattress behind her and her legs in a crisscross way. The group of teenagers nodded their heads in reply, some forcing a smile to relieve some of the tension in the room.

Wade returned back to his seat between Logan and Kitty, still scowling and fuming with anger. The original group of people scooted backwards, creating more space for the newcomers to settle down and widening the circle. Hearing Riley's words, everybody began snatching up presents from the gift pile with their names on them, some making appreactiative looks at the nicely wrapped gifts whilst some twisting their faces in slight horror at their gifts that looked like they had been wrapped by a toddler.

Whilst everyone grabbed their respective gifts, Riley took her time to look over the newcomers since she had found her gifts faster than everyone else. There were three girls and one boy, one girl being Wendy, and the one boy being the Chinese guy that seemed to not be on good terms with Wade.

At first, Riley thought the two other girls looked eerily familiar and she racked her brains to try to recall their names. Finally, she remembered the night Maya had convinced Riley to commit one of her more rebellious acts, sneaking out of her house to join her Blonde Best Friend to a college party.

These were the two girls who had given Maya the confidence that night to confess and realise her feelings towards Josh. Jasmine and Charlotte.

Jasmine was the fiery Latino that had been the one to threaten Josh. She had luscious brown hair that grew longer since the last time Riley had seen her, plump pink lips, intelligent eyes the colour of wood and her signature rosy cheeks. She wore a festive red Christmas sweater that fitted her just right, black tights and a pair of knee high brown boots.

Charlotte was the Chinese teenager who had a certain calming presence, being the one who had convinced Maya and Riley not to give up and leave that night. Silky black hair cascaded down her back, with full red lips and her fringe tickled the lashes of her brown eyes that were filled with warmth. Despite the fact that it was Christmas, the girl wore absolutely no outstanding colours, opting for a dark purple turtleneck, navy blue jeans and a pair of black ankle boots.

"Wait... Riley?" The two girls sounded at once, raising their hand to point a finger at the Brunette sitting across them. Nodding her head, Riley gave a bright grin at the two, surprised they could remember a forgettable and worthless girl like her. "You look really different but in a good way. Where's that strong Blonde friend of yours, Maya?" They reamarked casually, looking over at Josh and sending a cheeky wink in his direction.

Riley felt a sharp pang of sadness in her heart just thinking of Maya. Looking at Riley's expression, Logan sneaked his hand to the hand next to him, which belonged to Riley. He squeezed her hand in a way to show reassurance and comfort, the Brunette almost instantly relaxing from Logan's familiar touch. Quickly, Logan changed the subject, "Let's start opening presents, shall we?"

Working like a charm, Logan's words prompted everyone to turn their attention from Riley to their gifts and started ripping open the many gifts laid out in front of them. Riley turned to face Logan, giving him a grateful smile, which Logan returned with his usual lopsided grin. Facing the presents laid out in front of them, Riley began to open the first gift which was from Brandon, unwrapping the black wrapping paper without tearing it.

Continuing this pattern for all the other gifts, Riley gingerly took out the ribbons and carefully tore the paper, saving the cards she had received to the side to read later. Finally, she left a mess of wrapping paper in the wake of the opening of her gifts. She had received a few action movies and CDs from Brandon, five handmade clothes from Kitty, a pair of purple boxing gloves and purple temporary hair dye from Wade, a book about decorating and a few art supplies from Zay, a stunning realistic painting of Riley from Wendy, and an imperial purple with black Nikon camera and a bunch of professionally taken photos from Josh.

"We didn't know you'd be here, since _someone_ didn't tell us his Niece was staying over with him. So we didn't get you a gift. We're really Riley." Charlotte bit her lip, ashamed of not giving a gift to Riley as she gestured between Jasmine and her. Riley knew that Josh was good friends with the two girls since they were part of a group of closely knit friends, hence she had a hunch the two girls were bound to come over to Josh's dorm today.

She also bought them gifts as she was still greatly inspired by how the two had given up a night of fun and socialising with two good looking guys just to build up the confidence of a random girl who harboured a crush on one of the two good looking guys. They had inspired Riley to be brave and come to terms with whatever feelings you never wanted, and to embrace those feelings.

A chorus of thanks directed towards Riley chimed from everybody, except the guy that was not on good terms with Wade since Riley hadn't known he would be coming. Riley had used her amazing decorative skills to decorate Christmas cards for everyone with intricate designs but the decoration on the front of these cards were not what people thanked Riley for. They were thanking her for her kindhearted and heart warming words she had poured out from the deepest part of her soul into these cards.

Besides those beautiful cards, she had given everyone a carefully thought out gift. She gave Brandon some merchandise from bands and singers he enjoyed listening to, Kitty a haversack with a tribal design and some last minute bought pieces of cloth, Zay her final designs for Grandma Gandy's café and some romantic movies, Wade many different colours of hair dye and beanies to cover up his dyed hair in school, Wendy some art supplies and vouchers to many painting classes, Jasmine a science book all about butterflies, Charlotte a bunch of purple themed clothes, and Josh a new camera and a leather-bound journal.

"How did you know I like to paint?" Wendy asked, lifting up the paintbrushes Riley had gotten her as part of the large art supplies package. Riley pointed at Josh with her thumb and watched gleefully as Wendy and Josh tried to fight down the blush forming on their cheeks.

Even though she was surrounded by trustable people she was getting close to and she was genuinely enjoying spending Chistmas with them, she couldn't help but fake a bit of her smile. Looking at he corner of her eyes, she watched Logan argue about something with Wade quietly, the only signs that showed they were arguing was Wade's wild hand gestures and the angered look on both their faces.

She wasn't upset Logan hadn't given her a gift, she always preferred giving rather than receiving and the best gift she could receive from him was just simply his presence. Riley was hoping Logan would have noticed that she hadn't given him a gift yet so that she could lure him out of the dorm to a more private location and surprise him with his gift.

As fate would have it, Logan frustratedly turned away from Wade, giving a wave of his hand to show that he was simply done with the argument. Turning towards Riley, Logan sighed but his expression immediately changed from a frown to a grin the moment he laid his eyes on Riley.

"No gift?" He joked, raising an eyebrow as he teasingly peered over at Riley's opened gift pile. Unable to contain her excitement, Riley smirked at Logan, one of the rarest sights to be seem on sweet Riley Matthews' face. She stood up from her seat, excusing herself from the room and grabbing her coat from the hanger behind the door.

She gestured with her fingers for Logan to follow her and she turned on her heel, bursting with anticipation at the thought of seeing Logan's face when she presented him with her painstakingly thought out gift. Shrugging into her coat, she felt Logan's presence behind hers as she walked towards the doors of the dorm building, slicing her hands into the pockets of her coat and fingering his gift in her pocket.

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 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. This was an especially long chapter, being exactly 3,236 words which is 1,000 words more than usual. Again, thank y'all so much for the incredible support and reviews. I really couldn't have written this chapter without y'all so thank y'all so much! Before I update the next chapter of Girl Meets Alone and Broken, I will be publishing a Rucas one shot so keep an eye out for that fanfic if y'all are Rucas lovers. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	17. Chapter 17

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm so sorry for the super late chapter update. To make it up to y'all, this chapter is much, _much_ longer than usual. It's exactly 4,000 words which is around 2,000 more words than usual. Before I start the replies, I'd just like to give y'all the reason why I took so long to update. Recently, I've received some constructive criticism and I thank them for giving their feedback. However, these reviews have made me feel insecure about my writing and they don't help with my own problems. For all those that my story doesn't meet up to their standards, I'm really sorry. I try my best and thank you to everyone who has stuck by me from day one, tolerating my late updates and my not very well written story. **

**Besides that, I have a very important note for everyone who reviews my fanfic:**

 **From now on, the replies to the reviews y'all have written will be at the very bottom of this 'page' due to some feedback on my formatting. For those who have accounts, I have replied to your review through private message.**

 **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please review, Favourite and follow. Here is Chapter 17 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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"Merry Christmas." Riley softly said, the corners of her mouth lifting upwards to form the bright grin that Logan adored so much. After leading the Rebel out of Josh and Andrew's room, Riley had brought the male teenager outside of the NYU building and onto the university's large lawn that was now scattered with large amounts of snow.

Taking out the Christmas card from her coat pocket she had spent hours on, Riley passed it to Logan with a faint blush on her cheeks. At first glance, the intricately designed card seemed store bought, what with the unbelievably complicated design. However, the card was in actual fact, entirely handmade by Riley, who had spend hours hunched over the card, putting the pieces together to create the beautiful masterpiece Logan was looking at now.

It was a gorgeous card with various bright colours. The front cover showed a small town, with four rows of houses and shop houses, and an ice skating rink at the bottom. Miniature people were scattered around the card, all individually different. Snow surrounded the streets, the sky and the roofs of buildings, making it a white Christmas for this tiny town.

Peering up from the card to catch Riley looking adorably impatient and worried with her eyes trained onto the object in Logan's hands, the boy chuckled to himself before turning his attention back to the card. Admiring the cover for a few mor seconds, Logan proceeded to flip the card over, where words filled the entire paper.

Reading the words Riley had poured out from the bottom of her heart and written onto the card, the small smile on his face turned larger each time he finished reading a sentence. By the the time he was done, he was beaming ecstatically and rather shyly from ear to ear, gingerly closing the card and lifting his head upwards.

"Do you like it?" Riley asked, fidgeting with the sleeves of the coat she had on and capturing a tiny part of her bottom lip in between her teeth. Logan shook his head, which made a downcast look appear on Riley's face, before he unexpectedly added, "I don't like it. I love it."

Hearing those simple words, the bright grin returned to Riley's face and suddenly, she whipped out an object she had been hiding behind her the whole time. "I didn't know what else to get you." She shrugged her shoulders, handing over the rectangular object packaged in sea green wrapping paper with a navy blue ribbon.

Unwrapping the gift, Logan was surprised with a military green leather jacket, complete with shiny silver buttons. Feeling the wonderfully smooth fabric between his fingers, Logan admired the jacket, from the buttons to the colour. Logan felt his heart glow with adoration for the Brunette standing in front of him and he looked up from the gift, his hands slightly trembling.

Eyes shining with gratefulness and a hint of tears, Logan endearingly said, "Thank you Riles. This means so much to me..." Riley beamed from ear to ear, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear shyly. To show his appreciation towards the Brunette's thoughtfulness, Logan neatly folded the jacket and gingerly placed it back into the box it had come from.

"That reminds me..." Logan trailed off sneakily, snaking his hand into the inner pocket of his black winter coat and pulling out a small box no larger than the size of a face of a watch, along with a thumb drive. Passing the two purple coloured objects to Riley, Logan suppressed blushing from his roots and managed to just have a tinge of red on his cheeks.

"I... I wasn't sure what to get you..." Logan stuttered, unlike his usual confident self, which brought a giggle from Riley. Riley felt her heart flutter at the very rare vulnerable and worried look on Logan's face. Logan ran his fingers through his Midnight Black hair, avoiding meeting Riley's eyes and continued.

"The thumb drive has something important inside. But promise me you won't watch it unless I tell you!" He added with an exclaim, his head snapping upwards with his eyes wide with fear and embarrassment. "Promise me. Please." He pleaded and despite her burning curiosity, Riley nodded her head, promising Logan.

She tucked the purple thumb drive into her pocket and focused all her attention on the small box in her hand. Slowly opening the lid, she gasped with delight and shock at what laid inside the box. It was a handsome gleaming tanzanite stone, with its purple and blue colours not fully mixed together, as if they were they were watercolour paint. The gemstone was trapped inside a few thin gold lines that formed a pyramid shape altogether, the tip of the pyramid facing towards the vast blue sky above.

"It's gorgeous..." Riley whispered, turning the gemstone's gold casing between her fingers. She had an almost wistful look on her face and happiness bloomed in her eyes, a look of total elation shining through every feature on her face.

Logan couldn't help the rising grin on his face and found himself unknowingly crashing into Riley, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist. Lifting her up, he spun her around, melodious giggles erupting from the Brunette and sounding around the lawn, putting almost everyone into a calm state.

Finally putting her down, Riley's laughter slowly faded away and Logan yearned to hear her laugh again. The two stared deep into each other's eyes, getting lost in the other person's enchanting orbs. In the midst of the moment, Logan took a step closer to Riley and took her head in his hands, pulling her forehead closer to his lips before the 'Bad Boy' had his lips graze against Riley's forehead, filling the Brunette with a warm tingling feeling and a jolt of electricity coursed through her body.

Pulling away, Riley felt the heat rising to her cheeks and felt absolute bliss, wishing for Logan to peck her forehead again. Suddenly, a memory arose in her head, a memory she treasured despite everything that happened between her and the person she shared the memory with.

Lucas Friar.

Memories of sweet moments shared between her and the cowboy came crashing back into her head like a tsunami wave, engulfing her whole. One memory stood out the most, the one where she had planted her lips right on Lucas' on her first date.

She had no idea why this memory was standing out so vividly in her mind now and she couldn't help but reminisce of how she felt when she had kissed Lucas. Everything around her had gone fuzzy and all she could focus on was Lucas. She had felt a tingling sensation all around her body for those few seconds and remembered wishing to lean in once again to kiss the Blonde Texan.

Logan, noticing her slightly dazed look, bumped his fingers against Riley's left arm, snapping her back to reality. He raised a questioning eyebrow, which Riley knew translated into a concerned 'are you okay'. "Let's go back in. The others should be wondering why we've been gone for so long." Logan said as he gave his signature lopsided grin that made Riley's heart flutter.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Riley looked at herself in the full length mirror, taking in a deep breath as she twirled slowly in front of the mirror, to see if her outfit was alright. "What do you think Kitty?" The Brunette looked over at the phone that was currently perched on top of the bedside table positioned next to the mirror.

The Asian's face filled the screen, her eyebrows shooting upwards and eyes widening when Riley had reappeared onto the screen. A bright dazzling grin stretched onto Kitty's face, the fashionista nodding her head in approval and complimenting the Brunette's outfit choice.

"This is the one!" Kitty exclaimed, giving Riley a once-over and she nodded her head yet again. A plain white turtle neck was fitted snuggly onto Riley, along with a wine red dirnl skirt that flared out at the hem and a pair of red tights to keep her legs warm. Overall, the outfit complimented Riley's envious curves and athletic legs.

Sighing in relief, Riley pulled off the hairband that had kept her hair tied up tightly and her scalp tingled in appreciation from being pulled back for so long. She ran her slender fingers through her luscious Brown locks, the natural waves framing her face perfectly.

Deciding not to do anything special with her hair tonight, Riley adjusted the position of her phone and plopped herself down on the edge of Josh's bed. Bending down, the Brunette grabbed the pair of blank ankle boots pushed against the bedside table and proceeded to slip into them.

Sitting back upright, Riley swiped her phone from the table and continued her previous conversation with Kitty. "How many customers are there queuing up?" Riley questioned after being interrupted eight times by another person's voice. Kitty shouted something in Chinese directed to a worker before focusing her attention back onto Riley.

After the little gathering they had, Kitty and Wade had to rush home immediately to get changed before heading straight to one, out of many, of their family's Chinese restaurants since two workers were unable to make it today. Kitty, who had promised Riley to help her choose her outfit, had been persistent to help Riley while also working, despite the Brunette's protests.

"Not _that_ many..." Kitty avoided looking at Riley, a stressed look stretching onto her face as she shouted something incoherent to Riley again, giving another one of her ba dazzling smiles directed towards a customer who had just stepped up to the counter. The Brunette sighed, knowing immediately the girl was lying and felt guilty for distracting Kitty from her work.

"I have to go anyway. Bye Kitty Catty..." Riley trailed off, her thumb hovering over the red button on her phone, which was to end the FaceTime call. The Asian served the current customer before looking back down, seeing the Brunette waving at her. Kitty pouted, giving Riley a quick wave in return nonetheless, replying with her usual enthusiastic, "Bye Smiley Riley!"

Just as Riley turned off her phone, the door unexpectedly swung open and the Brunette let out a yelp of surprise, shooting out of her seat. A mess of tousled dark brown hair appeared around the door and was followed by her Uncle's young features that reminded Riley that despite Josh's wisdom, he was still a boy at heart.

"Ready to go, Niece?" He asked, jabbing a finger in the direction behind him. Another face popped up behind Josh's, an encouraging and soothing grin on the newcomer's face. The newcomer, Wendy, had her healthy sunflower coloured hair styled in a half up half down style, which was a portion of her hair tied up in a bun and the rest flowing down her shoulders.

Wendy rolled her eyes, teasingly poking the older boy with her finger. "Obviously she's ready. Don't you have eyes?" She cheekily joked, her eyes flitting over to Riley as she winked, with a grin that showed off her perfect white teeth. Josh stuck out his tongue immaturely in return, stepping out from behind the door and crossing his arms over his chest as per usual.

"By the way, Wendy's tagging along. Unfortunately." Josh let out an exaggerated sigh, which showed that he was joking about being upset. Wendy made a face behind Josh just as the latter turned around, pointing a finger at Wendy, showing that he expected the Blonde to do that.

Turning back to face Riley, the High School student studied Josh's features. He could sigh as much as he want but she saw the adoration shining in his eyes. The brightest grin Riley had ever seen on Josh's face and the pure, genuine love in his eyes just proved to Riley that the boy was head over heels for the Blonde. It was no wonder that Josh had repeatedly showed no interest in Maya, despite her attempts at flirting.

The words he had confessed to Wendy the day he returned from his trip was genuine and truthful. He _did_ indeed love Wendy, with all his heart no less. Riley had doubts about Josh's proclamation of love since she hadn't fully seen the way he interacted with the Blonde.

But now?

She couldn't be more sure that _this_ , right in front of her, was true love. A love she had seen being exchanged between her Grandparents, Shawn and Katy, and especially her own parents. Although they were both only in University, this love between Josh and Wendy was blossoming over every minuted they spent with one another.

Silently swearing to herself that she would stop _anyone_ who tried to break these two up, Riley snapped back to reality. Picking up her purple-black backpack that was filled to the brim with gifts and cards, Riley nodded her head, determined to get through this dinner without breaking down again like the last time she had in the café.

Besides, what could possibly go wrong with her Uncle Josh, Wendy and Logan by her side?

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

The car screeched to a halt the moment Josh slammed on the brakes, causing a few passer-bys walking along the pavement to turn their heads and shoot a ferocious glare in their direction. Josh had been driving as if he was in a formula one race when he realised he had read the time on the invitation to party wrong.

The supposedly 'wise' Uncle had mixed up the time on the message Topanag had sent to him. Currently, they were late by half an hour, which wasn't that bad since Riley knew that her Grandparents would've arrived twenty minutes later anyway. Plus, thanks to Josh's fast driving and shortcuts, they had arrived half an hour earlier than they had expected.

Whilst Wendy lectured Josh on how safety was more important than being on time, Riley peered out of the perfectly polished car windows to look up at a place she had once called home. She felt a hand clamping onto her shoulder and squeezing softly, as if reassuring Riley that everything would be fine.

Looking over to the person the hands belonged to, Riley's feeling of trepidation slowly died down but not completely. She gave another one of her fake smiles which Logan, who had squeezed her shoulder, frown immediately. Nonetheless, Logan soon returned a tiny smile, letting Riley know that he was there for her.

Being someone that was so confident and honestly didn't care that much about other people's opinions, Logan had gone with his usual 'bad boy' look and if possible, made it look even more rebellious than usual just to rub it in Riley's parents' faces. Everything he wore was black, except for the new leather jacket Riley had given him. His v-neck shirt, his jeans, his shoes, and even his socks were black. He had added more green and blue streaks into his hair, with the colours standing out more than usual.

"Let's do this thing. Brownie, you can do this." Wendy determinedly said, directing the last sentence towards Riley, who was now nicknamed 'Brownie' by the Blonde. As she finished her sentence, her car door was opened by none other than Josh. Wendy, looking genuinely surprised, gave a indignant splutter before stepping out of the car gracefully.

"How are you still so undignified whenever I open the door for you? Literally, I open the door for you everywhere." Josh teased a blushing Wendy and the latter responded with a halfhearted smack to Josh's arm. The Brunette shrugged away the smack like it was nothing and instead, picked up the Blonde in a flash, hoisting her onto his back and ran into the building.

While the Blonde gave threats and screams directed towards Josh, the Brunette still carried on piggybacking her to the entrance of the building. Logan and Riley turned to face each other, stifling their laughter and opting for wide grins on their faces, with a few snorts coming from Riley.

Slinging his arm around Riley, the two teenagers followed the University students into the building, with Riley animatedly talking about what Logan was to expect of the Matthews family and her home. Once the four of them were buzzed in, they stood in front of the oak door, waiting in anticipation.

Fisting his hand, Josh began to rap his knuckles against the door, giving the wood five good knocks before his arm retreated back to his side and brushed against Wendy's hand. The door was opened after a shout of 'I got it' followed by a few stomps against the floor. They had expected to see a fellow Matthews member at the door but was shocked by another face.

Farkle Minkus.

Lifitng a trembling finger up, Riley pointed at the genius with a startled look on her face. The two friends, if they could still be called that, offered each other wide eyes filled with surprise accompanied by mouths dropping open. "Who's that at the door, my beloved?" Smackle's innocent and cheery voice came from the Matthews household, which widened Riley's eyes.

The genius continued staring at Riley, all manners forgotten as he stood at the doorway, preventing the recently arrived guests from entering the cosy apartment. "Honey?" Smackle once asked again and Riley could hear the distant sounds of a chair screeching against the wooden floor, followed by some footsteps.

With furrowed eyebrows, Smackle appeared at Farkle's side, wiggling her way through the hole in between her Boyfriend and the door. Looking up with a huff, she was met with the troubled and confused face of Riley Matthews. Looking between her Boyfriend and Riley, Smackle tried to break the silence with her usual oblivious and honest self.

"This is awkward. Like really awkward." She declared, earning a stifle of laughter from Wendy and a halfhearted grin from Josh. Realising what he was doing, Farkle snapped out of his stupor and backed away from the doorway, pulling it open all the way, wanting to say something to Riley but not knowing _how_. He opened his mouth, about to bombard her with questions when someone else interrupted him.

"Riley!" A bright voice filled with child-like wonder and innocence took up the awkward silence between the group of teenagers. Flipping her head towards the voice, Riley saw her younger Brother shooting up from the couch in the living room and dashing towards his older Sister, stretching his arms outwards and jumped onto Riley, who had squatted down when she noticed what Auggie was doing.

Once Auggie's arms were secured tightly around Riley's neck, the Brunette effortlessly stood up form her squatting position, returning the hug as she twirled around in her spot, her Brother's joyous giggles pounding in her ears. "I missed you, so much..." Auggie stated once Riley had stopped swinging, burying his head between her head and shoulder.

Riley could hear the slight quiver in Auggie's voice and knew he was trying to be brave by resisting his urge to cry. Immediately, she squeezed her arms around him even tighter, wanting to put all her love for Auggie into the hug. Finally, he pulled away and locked his eyes with Riley.

Holding up his pinkie, Auggie stared into Riley's eyes, whispering vulnerably, "Promise me to never leave me again?" Seeing how his bottom lip trembled and the tears glistening in his eyes, Riley lifted up her arm and hooked her pinkie to Auggie's, giving it a firm shake. Satisfied with her response, Auggie hopped out of Riley's arms, giving her one last hug before he proceeded to greet Josh, knowing his family wanted to have their own alone time with Riley.

Sighing, Riley looked over to Auggie fondly, suddenly thinking of the times she had chosen Maya over her own flesh and blood. How could she have ever doubted Auggie's love for her? He had proven time and time again for how much he adored and looked up to his older Sister.

"Who's that?" Auggie asked when he noticed the stranger standing next to his Sister, pointing at Logan. "I'm Logan. Riley's..." Logan halted, pondering if it would strain Riley and her parents' relationship if he said he was her Friend, despite Topanga and Cory's efforts to prove that Logan was a bad influence. "Friend." He finished off, noticing the lift of an eyebrow from the youngest Matthew.

The boy furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, as if trying to recall something. Suddenly, Auggie nodded his head enthusiastically, breaking out into a bright grin. He beckoned the older boy with a simple motion of his hand, Logan giving a shrug when he saw Riley's concern before walking towards Auggie.

Auggie proceeded to grab Logan by his hand, pulling him in the direction of the staircase. The two soon disappeared around the corner on the left, which was where Auggie's room was and the door was slammed shut, with the sound of a lock clicking. Before Riley could give it much thought, the two very people who had invited her and caused her immense pain.

Seeing the two adults, Riley shrunk away in fear and could feel her whole body tremble against the sight of the two beings standing in front of her. She felt herself reaching her hand out to her right, the spot where Logan had been standing just a few seconds ago and panic struck throughout her whole body when she realised nobody was standing next to her.

Her breaths came out rushed as she gulped down the air, forcing herself to breathe in oxygen. 'Queen, you are extrodinarily brave.' Logan's soothing and deep voice floated into her mind, a sentence she could vaguely remember him saying after her encounter with her parents at Topanga's.

Filled with a newfound courage, Riley's eyes hardened as she pulled herself together, straightening upwards and radiating confidence, despite her preference to actually just curl up in a ball and cry her eyes out. Wearing a mask void of emotions, she faced the two people standing in front of her.

"Riley..." Topanga whispered, taking a step towards her, reaching out a hand as if she wanted to stroke Riley, only to be rejected when Riley took a step backwards. The lawyer's brave facade was cracking as she let a single tear fall down her cheek before wiping it away, managing to make herself hard of emotions yet again.

Cory, on the other hand, showed his vulnerable state fully, not even trying to hide how he truly felt. "Riley, sweetie." Cory choked out, stretching his hands in Riley's direction, expecting a hug but what he got in return made his face fall. Riley had sidestepped her Father, keeping up her emotionless face when all she wanted to do was crash into her Father's arms.

"It's dinner time." Josh had interrupted, faking a wide smile that seemed more like a snarl. He placed his hands on Riley's shoulders and guided her away from her parents, towards her grandparents instead. Tilting his head down discreetly, Riley could see his lips moving but she couldn't hear a thing.

Everything around her was blurry and sounds she couldn't comprehend pounded in her ears, giving her a headache. Despite the pain, she mustered up a fake grin to give to her grandparents, pretending she was okay yet again.

* * *

 **Aaaaand... CUT! Thank y'all so much for being so patient with my slow updates and being so supportive. Y'all are the mist incredible people I know. Anyway, here are the replies!**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Guest AB**

(This reply is for both your reviews.) This chapter is about Riley and Logan's gift exchange, Riley going to her house for the Christmas dinner, reconciling with Auggie and a certain character appearance. I'm thinking of Jasmine and Charlotte being more of role models and people Riley can ask questions to. Riley and her parents' relationship will fully repair in the next chapter with help from the Matthews family and Logan. It's updated as you can see. Sorry for the late update but you can see my reasons at the author's note all the way at the top if you're curious. Thank you for being so patient. :)

 **RucasLover24**

Okay, I'm just going to combine the replies to your two/one review. Thank you so much! :D Thank you for updating me in the Riverdale season 2 release date! I'm quite blue and don't really keep up with those kind of stuff, so thank you so much! I'm so glad too. I thought I was going to have to wait for another year for it to come out, which would have been so frustrating. Yas! Are you my long lost twin or something? I'm pretty sure we have the same brains. Joaquin and Kevin are just so adorable! I really hope Joaquin comes back in Season 2. There's actually a theory I saw that Joaquin is FP and Alice Cooper's Son or something. It's actually really interesting and makes a lot of sense but it's somewhere amongst YouTube comments for a Riverdale clip. I still love Barchie too but not as much as Bughead anymore. I agree with you. Barchie is adorable but I feel like they don't really have any romantic feelings towards each other, more like sexual tension, you know? Writing that Varchie part, I just realised what I wrote is basically what you said about Varchie. Hahaha, we definitely have the same brains. Agreed! Lucaya is more like a Brother-Sister relationship and if they were a couple, it would just be very toxic since being a couple requires good communication with each other, in other words, having deep conversations. Yes! I love Bughead so much and that one scene where they said: "I love you" to each other was so cute. I have to say though, Jughead looked really good in the serpents leather jacket. I just hope that doesn't cause an argument between him and Betty. For that private matter part, I just want to say a few things. I'm really happy for you, you deserve all of those good things you have been blessed with. Even though I don't really know your *wiggles eyebrows* special male Friend that well, I'm shipping both of you so much as well! :D I wish the best for both of you and I hope he'll fill your days with happiness. If you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me. :) OH MY GOSH! I love TØP as well. Although I wasn't there in the beginning, I really do love their music and whenever I have my problems, their music really speaks to me. Yes! Panic! At the Disco is so incredible. I've been especially addicted to his more recent songs Death of a Bachelor and Crazy=Genius. I don't listen to Melanie Martinez that often but her songs are really great as well, especially Pity Party and Mrs Potato Head. Although I don't really like Maya that much, Sabrina is really talented in acting and singing, plus she's quite different from Maya. Her singing is really good but if I had to choose between her and Rowan, I would pick Rowan. Rowan is just out there, you know? She defends feminists rights, LGBT and she's just not afraid to speak up for what she believes in. Okay, for some other artists I like, I like Chainsmokers, The Vamps, Selena Gomez, Louisa Johnson and Niall Horan. There are some more but TOP will always be my favourite. I'm just curious, do you know a YouTuber called Caspar Lee? Also, what are you Favourite Colours? I really love black and green. All shades of green are really nice, except for lime green. But my personal Favourite shades are military green, emerald green and turquoise green. Thank you for reviewing and I love you so freaking much! :D

 **Lolly**

Before I start, I just want you to know that this reply is for the three reviews you did. Anyway, thank you so much! :D You'll be happy to know that this chapter has 4,000 words! That's 2,000 words more than usual. There's Rogan fluff in this chapter, more than usual, especially in the front part. I hate making Riley cry but I wanted to show that Riley didn't miraculously get over all her pain in just a few months. This type of brokenness takes a long time to get over, especially when a large portion of that pain is from your own parents. I just couldn't resist adding some Rogan. ;) Wade and Kitty's family relationship is just so pure and adorable! I love writing Wade as an older protective Brother. Jasmine and Charlotte were such cool college students, like most college students would've been mean to a bunch of middle school students that crashed their party but they were just so warm and welcoming, and even went as far as to help Maya. I really hope Girl Meets World gets picked up again, I'm just going to hold on to that hope. That was actually what I want to write. I really want Maya to be happy but maybe just away from Riley. They could still be good friends I guess, just not as close as they used to be. I think I heard of that app, 'Choices', before. Isn't it something like Episode? Aww, I feel real honoured that you love this AU pairing that much. :)) Yes! Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was just phenomenal, with the excellent cast, humour, storyline, plot twists and especially, how the director, James Gunn, showed the relationships between almost everyone, especially Yondu and Peter's relationship. Dad!Yondu is just so adorable and I loved how in one scene, they showed Yondu showing a young Peter how to handle a gun. My favourite part was when Yondu told Peter: "He may have been your Father but he wasn't your daddy." That scene was so heartbreaking, pure and incredible. It really shows how there are people in life that you never fully appreciate until they're gone. When they're gone, that's when you realise how important they were to you. What was your favourite scene?

 **madhattervirgo23**

I have replied through private message! :D

 **Feeling duped**

First of all, thank you for taking some time to write this review/constructive criticism. However, I do have to say something. I'm really sorry that this fanfic did not meet up to your standards but I can explain. I know that right now, Lucas hasn't really made any appearance and there hasn't been any Rucas moments but I can assure you, there will definitely be Rucas scenes once Lucas redeems himself, which he 100% will. All I can say is, if you are still reading this fanfic, just please hold on. There is also a mention of Rucas in here, it's a memory but it's still Rucas. Also, yes, I did change my summary as I felt the original one wasn't that great and as you can tell, I'm horrible at writing summaries hence the change. I'm really sorry if this fanfic had disappointed you and I'll try my best to hurry and make Lucas redeem himself. Anyway, thank you for submitting this review.

 **Uniquely Blonde**

I have replied through private message! :D

 **velixhor**

I'm not sure if you wanted me to reply to this but I did so, just in case. Thank you for your feedback and making the effort to review! I'm really sorry that my replies take up a lot of space but I have my reasons. All these people take time, something you can't get back, to actually read my story and that's already a big enough privilege for me. But the fact that they also use make an effort to review my story to write encouraging words or praises when honestly, I do not even deserve a review, let alone a praise. These people who review my story are one of the main reasons why I even write. Not because I want to hear their praise or I want attention but because they give up their time to write something to me. Thank you for the feedback but I'm sorry, I cannot stop replying to reviews. If they can take some of their precious time to write some words for me, why should I simply ignore those words when I know I can reply to them. It's the least I can do in return for their incredible support. So, I'm really sorry but I won't stop replying to reviews. However, I do have a proposition for you. I will still reply to reviews but I will reply through Private Message to those with accounts and I will bring the replies all the way to the bottom of the page so that you won't have to scroll though the replies before reading. Besides, thank you so much for your feedback. :)

 **Jolly**

Thank you! :D Things are quite slow for the front part but the second part is Riley going into her house, reconciling with Auggie and a certain Friend makes a comeback in this chapter. Thank you for the well wishes! :)) I did better than expected, I got all A's but I did get two low B's and that did not really go well with my parents. Maya will get redemption in the end but like I said, it's up to y'all if y'all want her to become Riley's really good Friend again or just a Friend or an acquaintance or just throw Maya out of Riley's life completely. Thank you so much for the encouragement, it means a lot to me. :)) As you can see, it's updated and thank you for your patience while waiting for this chapter to come out. I'm really sorry for the late update but I explained my reasons in the author's note all the way at the top.

 **Guest AB**

This chapter is about Riley and Logan's gift exchange, Riley going to her house for the Christmas dinner, reconciling with Auggie and a certain character appearance. I'm thinking of Jasmine and Charlotte being more of role models and people Riley can ask questions to. Riley and her parents' relationship will fully repair in the next chapter with help from the Matthews family and Logan. It's updated as you can see. Sorry for the late update but you can see my reasons at the author's note all the way at the top if you're curious. Thank you for being so patient. :)

 **Guest/~Grace~**

Aww, thank you so much! :D You have no idea how much this means to me, what with the problems I've been having recently. It was really heartwarming to read this review and thank you for the compliments! :) I don't think I'm an incredible writer but I do try my best to write to the best of my abilities. It's nice to know that you love this AU potential couple! I think I'm going to keep Riley living with Josh for about a year, maybe a year and a half. If y'all do want her to keep living with Josh, there will be a voting for it if you want. :)) Thank you so much for this! :D You're amazingly incredible.

 **Guest (The one who agreed with confused and GuestAB, in case you wanted a reply.)**

First of all, thank you for making the effort to write a review and help me to improve on my writing. I'm sorry if you feel like this is, and I quote, 'dragging with no signs of improvement.' I am trying to get Riley to heal with her new and old friends but I'm just doing it slowly. I feel that if all her old friends just apologised at the same time, it would be too overwhelming for Riley and I don't anyone, even someone as nice as Riley, could just forgive the, instantly. In this AU, she has been hurt for more than a year by people she thought she could trust and depend on. This kind of pain can't be forgiven in just a few days since it has been building up for such a long time. Her family is in this chapter. I do try to update as fast as I can but I have a lot of struggles. I'm in a school that pressurises students to work hard, I have a lot of after school activities, my relationship with my Best Friend, whom I treat like a Sister, is currently quite strained since we're in different schools and I have my own problems with myself. I'm sorry if this doesn't meet your standards, I am trying my best to write and fabricated a decent storyline. Besides that, thank you for the constructive criticism and I'll try to improve. I'm really sorry if I have offended you in any way, I really didn't mean to.

 **Confused**

Before I start, thank you for taking your time to write this review, I really appreciate the feedback. It was very constructive criticism but I have reasons for my writing. This is both Rucas and Rogan. Lucas is remorseful and the only reason he hasn't apologised yet is because he has no idea where Riley is. Riley is in Josh's dorm in NYU, and Lucas has never been to Josh's dorm, plus Josh's place wouldn't be the first location he would think of if Riley wasn't living in her own house anymore. Plus, the only people who know Riley's in NYU besides her friends and Josh, is Riley's parents. And since Lucas feels guilty, he would've have the courage to face Riley's parents with the amount of guilt he feels. He has tried to contact Riley through his phone and ask her where she is but there's a reason why she's not picking up, which will be revealed. The reason why majority of the chapters are currently Rogan is because Riley and Lucas have a deep history. They've known each other since Middle School and have shared many romantic moments together. For a really realistic triangle to happen, the person who likes two people has to feel like he/she likes the two people equally. The number of deep moments he/she has had with each of the two people he/she liked are critical to make a good triangle. The person that has to choose between the two people has to feel conflicted. I know there aren't many Rucas scenes yet but I'm trying to even up the amount of scenes Rucas has had on the show with the amount of Rogan scenes in this fanfiction. I'm sorry if this story doesn't meet your expectations but I have to even it up. There will be Rucas scenes coming in later but if you can't wait for the interaction between Riley and Lucas, I'm really sorry but I'll have to agree with your decision. Thank you for your feedback and time, and I'm really sorry if I have offended you in any way, I didn't mean to.

 **Thank y'all once again for the incredible support! I recommend anyone who's going to review to make an account so that I can reply to you through private message. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	18. Chapter 18

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyyyy y'all! I am so terribly sorry for this two months late update. I really, really am. I've been dealing with some mental issues lately, not like hallucinations or anything, just some insecurities and anxiety. To top** **it off, I had to prepare for my birthday party. I'm officially 13 now, which is quite a big number. Seeing all your encouraging reviews were absolutely heartwarming and the best birthday present I could ever ask for. Thank you for all your reviews, favourites and follows. I don't deserve any of them, thank you! :D To make up for my super late update, I've written around 2,500 words more than usual. This chapter is** **4,794 words and I hope you enjoy!**

 **IMPORTANT MESSAGE ON REPLIES:**

 **Due to the new format, replies to reviews are below. My Private Messaging isn't working for some reason so replies to those with accounts are down below! Thank you for all the reviews! :)**

 **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please review, Favourite and follow. Here is Chapter 18 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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"Riley-" The Brunette genius, otherwise known as Farkle, tried to squeeze the single word between the rapid conversations unfolding around the dinner table. Luckily for him, the very person he had called miraculously managed to hear him over the noise. Riley, who had been busy intently listening in to the adults' conversations, had found out that the reason why Farkle and Smackle were here.

Turns out, her parents had decided that this year they should host a Philadelphia reunion. Much to Riley's immense relief, some guests couldn't make it. More specifically, Shawn Hunter. The newly wed man wanted to celebrate his first Christmas with his brand new family and fortunately for Riley, this meant that she wouldn't be seeing her Blonde 'best friend' as soon as she had thought.

Vaguely hearing someone calling her name, Riley looked around the table and finally realised it was Farkle. Connecting her eyes with his, Riley tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow, and if Farkle didn't know her that well, he would have thought that the simple gesture meant that she was daring him to speak to him. However, since he knew her since the tender age of five, he knew that it was just her way of asking him what he wanted.

What did he want actually?

Farkle had so many thoughts running through his head and overwhelming him, that they were all in a huge jumbled mess, which was a stark contrast to his usual organised thoughts. The thoughts seemed to mix together until they were just a bunch of words floating in his mind and as he tried to piece them together, the sentences he came up with didn't make sense.

Soon, Riley's scrunched up face attracted attention from Logan, who had been joyously chattering with Auggie, much to the distaste of Cory and Topanga. He felt guilt rising in him the moment he spotted Riley looking at Farkle and wondered if the genius had did or said anything that had hurt Riley. Pushing down his anger, and maybe even a hint of jealousy, he excused himself from the conversation with Auggie and turned to Riley.

Bumping his fingers against Riley's hand under the table, the Brunette's head shot to her left, which was where Logan sat, and raised another questioning eyebrow. Pushing aside her concern and burning curiosity for Farkle, she placed her attention onto Logan. "Did genius over there do anything?" Logan asked, emphasising on the word, 'genius', with his usual amount of sarcasm.

Riley, trying to avoid the topic, pretended to think hard about Logan's question but answered with a cheeky remark instead, "Yeah, he pulled out his chair, fumbled with his fork, told his Mother he was okay-" Logan concealed the bubbling laughter rising inside of him by clamping his hand over his mouth, pretending to cough, before taking his hand off, allowing Riley to catch glimpse of the corners of his mouth turning upwards.

The dark haired boy had been replacing his usual bright smiles with little ones throughout the whole dinner, which had brought Riley more confusion and stress. She knew Logan usually took on a bad boy demeanor in front of other people who weren't close to him, but she needed to see that dazzling smile on him now more than ever. She needed the ends of his mouth to raise skyward, to show his full set of glowing white teeth, and to basically radiate happiness.

She needed the Logan she knew, _her_ Logan.

Feeling a brush against her fingers again, Riley was brought back to reality from her deep thinking and was met with the concerned face of Logan. Searching the girl's face, Logan nodded with satisfaction and continued, "Don't try to change the subject Knicksie..." The bad boy slid his fingers in between hers, clasping their hands together. Riley, torn between the choice of faking a smile or telling Logan the truth, ended up not having to do either, thanks to the help of the people she least expected.

Her parents.

After their awkward exchange with their daughter, most people would have expected them to be in silence but this was definitely not the case for the teacher and lawyer. It was kind of expected, their jobs _did_ require them to talk and they themselves loved to babble on for countless of hours.

As if someone had flipped a switch connected to the two adults, Cory and Topanga were instantly turned back to their usual extrovert selves, chattering amongst the adults with vigour and treating Riley as though the three had never argued with each other before. "We had a very lovely Christmas Eve yesterday as a whole family!" Topanga exclaimed enthusiastically as she began to list off the activities her family had apparently been doing the yesterday.

Sitting there in her home, if she could even call it that, made Riley realise what an absolute idiot she had been ever since Josh had told her about the family dinner. Hearing the exaggerated excitement in her Mother's voice, realisation dawned onto her. Her own two parents only invited her to maintain their _perfect_ cookie cutter family image. They were trying to put up an act that their whole family was perfectly fine and that they hadn't recently got into a fight with their daughter.

For the first few seconds, the Brunette felt like leaving the house and just returning back to Josh's dorm to cry herself to sleep again. Suddenly, she felt an overwhelming urge to shout at her parents as something strong began to course throughout her whole body, filling her to the brim, waiting impatiently for Riley to just explode to finally be able to attack those who had damaged the teenager.

As quickly as the anger came, it soon sizzled down the moment she thought of how she felt whenever Lucas did something rash when he was furious. She couldn't hurt Auggie, her precious younger brother that meant the world to her, and strain the relationship between them. The thought of scaring Auggie away because of her anger made Riley's heart thump harder against her chest as fear washed over her at that single thought.

Closing her eyes, she commanded herself to take a few breaths before she started to clear her mind, leashing in her anger. "No, we didn't." Riley stated firmly and a hush immediately settled over the dining table, everyone having heard Riley's words and how serious she was, the complete opposite of the usual Riley that was filled with Christmas spirit and cheer. All traces of the insecure girl was gone, replaced with this confident and fierce teenager standing in front of everyone.

Some had inquisitive eyebrows raised, sending questioning looks to Riley's parents, who were both suddenly avoiding eye contact with everyone around the table and fidgeting relentlessly with their utensils. Seeing how scared they were of the truth getting out made Riley feel beyond imaginable disappointment and anger towards her parents. Where were the adults who had raised her to be a child of integrity? Who told her 'honesty is the best policy'?

Topanga, in a desperate attempt to silence Riley and more importantly, save her image, answered, "Sweetie, are you okay? I think you might have developed a fever..." Topanga trailed off, plastering an exaggerated smile across her face. The lawyer had given Riley the look she used whenever anyone had crossed the line, the look that had always reminded the Brunette of a lion. It was a look which told Riley to back down now, or she would literally be eaten _alive_.

At that point, Riley felt like backing down once again but out of nowhere, she felt her hand being squeezed comfortably and she knew it was Logan. She knew he really wanted to intervene, to protect Riley, and the only reason why he hadn't done it yet was because he believed that this was her own battle to fight, not his. "I believe in you, Queen." She heard the consoling voice of Logan as he muttered under his breath.

Knowing that Logan believed in her, a sense of confidence rose up inside of her and she felt herself blurting out the words that she had been keeping inside if her for a long time. "I'm perfectly fine but I'm not sure if you and _him_ are." Riley answered back calmly, even offering a smile. She didn't know if she should call her parents by 'mum' or 'dad', due to the fact that they hadn't been acting like parents to her recently.

Looks of bewilderment crossed everyone's faces and she could practically feel the triumphant smirk no doubt crossing the green-blue eyes boy's face behind her, which just filled her with even more courage. "What has gotten into you, all of you? This is not the same Matthews family I visited." Riley's grandmother asked, looking between her strangely rude granddaughter and her gaping son.

"Our family hasn't been the same ever since they started to pick Maya over me. Our family hasn't been the same ever since they ignored me. Our family hasn't been the same ever since they decided I was a _disappointment_..." At the last word, Riley's voice cracked as she trailed off, staring intently at her two parents who sat at the head of the table, both appalled at what Riley had just told everyone.

"Riley Matthews, don't you dare blame Maya for your behaviour! That girl has gone through hell and back, what with having lost her own Father and being betrayed by you, someone she thought she could trust." Topanga snapped back, shooting out of her seat as her hands gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. Cory, strangely, had stayed silent throughout the whole thing, not backing Topanga up for some strange reason.

Not able to resist the urge, Riley finally let out the thoughts and feelings that had been staying hidden inside of her for over a year, not being able to tolerate her 'parents' nonsense anymore. Unlocking the safe where all her feelings had been pent up in, she let the words flow freely, not a trace of hesitation found. "Maya has gone through hell and back? She lost a Father but I lost both my parents. And I betrayed her?" Riley scoffed, her eyes drilling holes into Topanga.

"Did you even notice how broken and... Depressed I have been feeling? And get this, I've been feeling broken for more than a year but you two have been far too busy fussing over Maya's every need that you didn't spare a single glance towards me. It's always Maya this, Maya that. Both of you always tell her how much you appreciate her, how much you care for her, how much you both love her.

You tell her those things every single day, even if she hasn't done a thing. She gets an F on a paper, you tell her, 'good job Maya, at least you tried' but when I get an A on a paper, you don't even say anything to me. You don't even spare me a glance because you're too caught up in consoling Maya, telling her how hardworking she is while I'm standing right beside her!"

Holding up a finger towards her parents, she shook her head, her eyes sharp as they boiled with rage. Before her parents could interrupt, she continued. "And before you say anything, yes, that may be a small matter but let me ask you. Is it a small matter for your parents to always pick your best friend over you? Is it a small matter to support your child's best friend's decisions, aspirations and dreams but the moment your own child tells you about their cheerleading tryouts, you tell them to give up, that they'll never get in because they're just too klutzy?

Is it a small matter to love a child, that isn't yours, _more_ than your own flesh and blood?"

"Do you know how it feels to be alone, and insecure, and just so... Broken? So, correct me if I'm wrong but if your beloved child, Maya, has been through hell and back, where have I been through? Tartarus?" At some point along her speech, Riley had got onto her own two feet and leaned towards her parents, her fingers wrapped along the groove of the finely carved wooden table, gripping onto it as though her life depended on it.

Her hair escaped from their tucked position behind her ears, framing her face so that everyone noticed her features clearly. The lips that everyone had always seen in a smile was now taken over by a firm thin line. Her eyebrows met each other in the middle, her eyes blazing with boiling fury, the emotion in her eyes the opposite of how she had conveyed of her words at the start of her rant just recently.

During her speech, her words had originally started off as calm and collected, with a twinge of sarcasm. However, slowly, the anger she tried so hard to keep under control had fought out of her grasp, attacking the two adults who had raised her. As her chest rose and fell heavily, the present Riley who welcomed anger with open arms relished in the shocked and slightly guilty looks on her parents' faces.

Suddenly, Riley caught all the eyes on her, which were accompanied by awestruck faces. She took control of her emotions again, reeling in the raging side of her and squeezed her eyes, focusing on the sound of her heavy breathing and finally, pulling herself together. Realising what she had just done, her tightly knitted eyebrows separated from one another and she moved back from her leaning position, still keeping her grip on the table but clutching to the wood even tighter.

Scanning everyone's faces, she felt herself shrink away in fear, already imagining what everyone was thinking about her, more specifically, what was wrong with her. 'They're all realising what you really are. You're merely a monster. A wolf dressed in sheep's clothing.' A voice drifted into her head, the exact same voice that had been living inside of her ever since she had started feeling insecure.

The voice that had told her countless of times what was wrong with her, that nobody could or would ever like her and how twisted she really was. Depressing thoughts were whispered by the voice, consuming her as they attacked every corner of her mind. Her breaths started getting quicker and heavier, and she could barely remember how to breathe. Her lungs felt constricted, like they were caged in a prison cell.

Feeling dizzy, she stumbled backwards, knocking over her chair as the walls seemingly started to close around her, trapping her, making her feel claustrophobic. Originally clear sounds started to mix together, forming just mere pounds in her head, making her hold her head in her trembling hands. "I... I'm sorry." She managed to choke out, her eyes darting to the ground, refusing eye contact with anyone that looked at her.

Confused looks were exchanged between everyone apart from Riley, Josh raising a questioning eyebrow at Logan, whose attention was completely focused on Riley, leaving Josh still puzzled. Stretching out his arm, Logan gave Riley a reassuring touch which immediately got the Brunette to tilt up her head slightly, just enough for Logan to see the parts of her face that weren't hidden by the shadow casted by her hair.

"You have no reason to be sorry for anything, the only people who should be apologising is anyone that ever hurt you." Logan whispered loud enough for only Riley to hear. Taking her hands in hers, he held her gently in his arms, placing her head onto his chest as he stroked her hair. The Brunette lifted her head higher, now allowing Logan a full view of her saddened features.

Her usually shining eyes were glassy with tears, the blobs of water leaking out from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks before either sliding down her face or sneaking into her mouth. Accompanying that, her bottom lip quivered slightly, and it wasn't because of the salty aftertaste of her tears.

But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part of it all was the emotions displaying inside Riley's eyes. Fear, sadness and the most horrible one, brokenness. The shattered broken look displayed all over her face made it seem like Riley had given up completely, like she he given up on life itself, like she could never bless the world with her pure smile or her melodious laughter ever again.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom for a while." She mumbled, feeling another round of fresh tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. Although Logan wanted nothing more than to whisk Riley away from this horrid place and just hold her, comfort her, he knew he shouldn't.

She needed to face her parents sooner or later, and it was better to do it while they were with other people around, especially the rest of the Matthews family. With family, Riley's parents would try their best to reel in their usual snarky attitude and replace it with their fake caring parents persona.

However, Logan knew Riley needed a moment to herself to just compose herself, to get a few minutes away from this _horrid_ place with her _horrid_ parents and the _horrid_ treatment she was receiving. Seeing Logan's nod, the girl asked, "Promise not to do anything rash?" Logan gave a lopsided grin, raising an eyebrow as he gave a witty remark in return.

"My level of rashness depends on their level of stupidity."

The edges of her lips tugged upwards, gracing the world with a tiny smile before they returned back to the straight line it had just been a few seconds ago. Reluctantly, she unwrapped herself from Logan's calming grip and after that, immediately making her way to the toilet, not even having enough energy to run, despite how desperate she was to get away from everything that involved her parents.

The distinct sound of a door clicking shut was the only thing that was heard in the apartment. Tension filled the air, so thick that even Auggie, a small boy who had absolutely no idea what was going on, could feel it. At first, not a single word was muttered or exchanged. Logan was tempted to let his rage overtake him and shout at Riley's parents, maybe flip a table or two but out of nowhere, someone finally broke the silence.

"That isn't true. Riley's just overwhelmed at school, she's slightly... Deslusional." Topanga blurted, faking another one of her exaggerated smiles. Hearing those awful words about Riley being muttered by her own parent, Logan felt fire blazing inside of him. Just as Logan had placed his hands on the edge of his chair, about to jump around and lash out at the lawyer, someone unexpected had beat him to it.

"Did you not hear what Riley had just said? Are you really that daft?" Amy, Riley's Grandmother, had her eyebrows narrowed and eyes glinting with anger as she blatantly insulted her daughter in-law. The elderly woman had stood up now, stretching up to her full height as she towered over the slightly cowering Topanaga. Raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow, Amy folded her arms over her chest, daring anyone to talk back to her.

Alan, Riley's Grandfather, had risen alongside his Wife, placing a hand on her shoulder as he leaned towards her, his mouth grazing her ear whilst he whispered something. Uncrossing her arms, Amy brushed away the longer strands of hair that had flew into her face, before continuing in a slightly more calm manner. "To think that Yale wanted _you_ in their programme." She scoffed, receiving a sharp intake of breath from almost everyone around the table.

Just as Topanaga swiftly jumped out of her seat, her mouth wide open, about to go on to another one of her long idiotic rants, Amy held up her hand, a steely look of determination in her hardened eyes. The latter was absolutely fed up with Topanga's attitude and was not going to let the lawyer trample all over her. "Really, Topanga. Just zip it for one moment! Let others talk." Amy said slowly, showing her lack of patience and tolerance with Topanga.

Unexpectedly, Josh raised his hand, cocking his head to one side as he asked permission to speak. Nodding her head, Amy smiled endearingly at her youngest boy before switching back to her cold demeanour. Rising from his seat, Josh stared down at Topanga, who was looking at everyone around the table in disbelief, not believing that they dared to be against her. Raising an eyebrow, Josh asked, "Do you know the real reason behind Riley's departure from here?"

"She didn't leave because her room reeked of alcohol, which I'm still questioning why you and Cory haven't confronted Maya about yet. She left because she was driven to the edge of insanity by both of you! She was just so tired of how you two treated her, so sick of the attitude, so she finally snapped, with good reason to. She rang me, told me about her situation and I let her stay over at my dorm."

"She didn't leave her so called, 'home', because of that small trivial matter of her room stinking. She left because of _you_ , both of you." Josh spat, all traces of the laid back and respectful teenager gone, and instead, replaced with the harsh and blunt version of him.

Soon, almost everyone had started piping up around the table, adding their own personal experiences with Topanaga and Cory being horrible parents. Most of them consisting of how they were always biased towards the Blonde that wasn't their own child. Majority of the comments were made by Josh and his voice seemed to be the most prominent in the room, something that was quite uncommon during the yearly Matthews' dinners.

His Father, Alan, and his Mother, Amy, had been quite vocal, adding their own points of views as a bystander, a parent, and a grandparent. They gave suggestions to what should have been rightfully done, how Topanga and Cory should've treated Riley but Josh could tell that their words were going through one ear and out the other.

Smackle, the genius, had been speaking up as well, giving logical remarks and statistics of what children, who had been ignored by their parents, had typically felt. Obviously, her long lecture touched too much on numbers and facts, and not about actual feelings, which did not help convince Topanga or Cory that they were hurting Riley. At least that was better than her supposedly genius Boyfriend, who was simply slouched in his seat, trying to hide his face.

Strangely, the one that Josh had thought would be shouting his lungs out had remained silent throughout the whole 'uprising'. Logan had returned back to his seat, stayed in it and calmly overlooking the whole argument unfolding in front of him without a single peep heard from him. At first glance, the boy looked strangely relaxed, almost as if he couldn't care less that this predicament in front of him didn't involve Riley, the girl he had cared about since day one.

However, Josh was an extremely observant person and after studying Logan carefully, he could tell that Logan was trying his best not to shout. One of his more obvious tells was his hands. They were clasped together on the table, pressed together so tightly that his veins sightly popped up, along with a shade of white slowly overtaking his healthily tan skin tone. The rough hands trembled, no doubt from rage, and Josh wondered why hadn't the boy spoke up yet.

Whilst he was invested in Logan's current strange state, Josh was suddenly snapped back to the fight happening around him by a voice that he _definitely_ did not expect to hear now. Wendy, who was an absolute stranger to almost everyone around the table, kind of got the drift that they were talking about Riley being upset and she unexpectedly added a statement, shocking the mentioned girl's parents.

"I haven't known Riley for very long but I know she's a good natured, pure, kindhearted, and the _best_ child a parent could ever wish for. I'm a stranger to this whole family affair but I could tell, the moment I laid my eyes on that beautiful child, that she was affected by something." Wendy stated, everyone around the table immediately hushing at the aspect of this stranger actually noticing Riley's sadness and standing up for the Brunette she didn't know that well.

"That something was this _awfully_ strained relationship with her parents!"

"As far as I can tell, Riley looks up to you, both of you. Before we came here, the poor girl was contemplating if she should even enter the house or not. You know why? Because she was afraid something like this would happen!" Wendy stretched out her arms to the side, motioning to the quarrel going on.

Moving towards Topanaga and Cory, Wendy folded her arms over her chest, professionally staring down the two adults who were unable to read her emotions, due to her expertly covered up face. A breath hitched in Josh's throat as he looked at the girl he loved standing up for his Niece, not afraid of ruining her only chance at getting his family to like her.

Leaning forward, Wendy slanted her body forwards, her face inches away from Topanga, near enough for the lawyer to feel the warm breaths from the girl's mouth, which tickled her skin. "So, I suggest you _shut up_ before you completely destroy this beautiful chance of redemption with your Daughter. After all, Christmas is also a time of forgiveness." Wendy sniffed, her eyes boring through the adults, shifting between the two of them.

Seeing the two parents silent, inwardly taking in the girl's words, Wendy moved away, inching backwards as she dwelled on whether she had done the right thing. Absorbed in her thoughts, she bumped into Josh, quickly swivelling around to face who she had bumped into. Seeing the boy, her face didn't light up as per usual but instead, her frown deepened.

"Did I do the right thing?" She asked, her forehead creased as she stared up at the boy she loved, his fingers snaking around Wendy's, holding her hand in his before lifting them up to his lips. Pecking her knuckles, something he regularly did, he pulled his lips slightly away from her hands, his soft mouth still brushing against her fingers whilst he spoke.

"You definitely did." Josh encouraged, giving a soothing smile. Opening his mouth, he was stopped short by none other than the two insolent adults everyone had been arguing with in an uncivilised manner throughout most of the meal. Taken aback by the mere thought that Topanga and Cory were still persistent that they were right, Josh cracked his knuckles, prepared to resort to violence if he had to.

Pushing back her seat, which toppled over and landed loudly onto the floor, the sound of the fallen chair vibrated throughout the house, which immediately silenced everyone around the table. "Look here," Topanga seethed, her eyes drilling holes into each person slowly, squaring her jaw as her eyes widened into circles. The lawyer had finally gotten rid of her disgusting persona, showing her true colours of the unloving parent she was.

"That little good-for-nothing that's unfortunately my daughter is at her own fault! Nobody ever ignored or hurt Riley, in fact, I would even go as far as to say that she's simply spinning tales to gain your attention and pity. What else would you expect from a stuck up and attention seeking person? Also-"

Topanga's fuming ramble came to a screeching stop as a pair of fists smashed the table, the sound overtaking the lawyer's already booming voice. A jagged crack soon appeared from the impact of the fists, running right through the table as it hovered in the air for a millisecond before splitting into half. The sounds of ceramic plates and metal pans crashed onto the floor, along with the table cracking open like an egg, the two halves collpasing to the floor.

Astonished, everyone peered up from the messed up floor to find who was responsible for breaking the table into half effortlessly. Fear stricken, they were all terrified that the next thing to be broken next would be themself. Surprisingly, everyone's eyes followed the trail of destruction and they soon landed on none other than the mysterious boy who had entered the house with Riley.

Logan.

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 **Guest**

Thank you! :) I'm sure you have a talent in writing, just keep trying and your talent will grow.

 **Lolly**

(Reply to all reviews)

I'm okay now, thank you for asking. :) I was just dealing with some insecurities, exams and my birthday party planning. Thank you so much! :D Choices sounds really interesting, I might download it if I have enough space on my phone. Yes! Yondu's funeral was so sad and when he died, I was actually crying. It was just so sad how Peter finally discovered he loved Yondu and that Yondu was such a dad figure to him all this while. Groot was so adorable and Rocket just acting as his father figure was really cute. Groot trying to find the fin was unbelievably adorable! He was just trying his best and getting confused. Thank you so much. :)

 **Jolly**

(Reply to all reviews)

First review: Hey! My country doesn't have Summer holidays, just June and December holidays but thank you anyway! :) The criticism was just a small portion, I've just been feeling very bad, mentally, and I've also been busy with my exams. I was actually planning to post this chapter earlier this week but my birthday was on Sunday so I didn't have any time. Thank you so much! :D I agree partially, some scenes were redundant and the way they portrayed the characters were a bit unrealistic. Riarkle is quite a cute ship and I felt like he was the only one that didn't take Riley's kindness for granted (the majority of the time). To be honest, they had a lot of chemistry and they were just so comfortable with each other. I think that's due to their deep friendship outside of the show but yeah. I'm actually slightly terrified releasing this chapter because I'm scared I wouldn't be able to meet all your expectations. I just hope it's decent. It's actually only Farkle and Smackle there, and I'll explain why it's just the two of them. Maya isn't fully a bad guy, I actually have a reason why she kissed Lucas at the party, besides the alcohol drinking situation. I do love Rogan as well and nothing will happen to them. Even if most of you vote for Rucas over Rogan, Rogan will still retain their friendship but to be frank with you, I'm honestly loving Rogan more than Rucas. In GMW, I ship Rucas a lot, however, after some time I felt like Lucas didn't deserve Riley, especially after he made Riley wait so long to tell her how he felt. Thank you!

Second review: Thank you for the compliment and for being so understanding. :) I just have a very low self-esteem and to the people I know outside fanfiction, they always see me as confident but actually, I always doubt every action I do and word I say. I spend a lot of time obsessing over what I've done, wondering if what I did made the person hate me, etc. My insecurity sadly takes over me sometimes and I just can't help it. My weak point in school is Chinese, Indonesian and Sciences. Thank you for the encouragement! :) Auggie is so underappreciated in GMW, I wish we got to see more sibling relationship between him and Riley. Her parents' reason for inviting Smackle and Farkle is explained in this chapter and I agree that Maya should just be a friend, maybe even an acquaintance. Thank you for the two reviews! :D

 **lovely bitch 2.0**

Updated! :)

 **Guest AB**

(Reply to all reviews)

There will be voting for y'all to decide if you want Riley to live with Josh. Auggie and Logan's conversation will not be revealed in this chapter. I'm actually deciding if their conversation should impact future chapters or if it should just be a normal conversation. That voting will take a while, I'm sorry.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :D There is plentiful of Rogan in almost all chapters but Rucas will be happening during the Winter Formal. That is actually a really good idea (about Lucas' sister being a love interest for Wade). :) I might use it, if you will allow me, and I'll definitely credit you! Thank you so much! :D

 **24tomfeltonlover1991**

Thank you! :)

 **PEACHESandBUNNY 17**

Thank you so much! :D I really hope my writing continues to please you.

 **izzy marie-anna swan**

(Reply to all reviews)

Sorry for the late update and thank you so much for your first review! :)

 **Belle Goode**

Thank you so much! :D

 **11SparkyIceblaze135**

Thank you! :)

 **Mickey101**

I love you too for posting this amazing review! :) Thank you so, so, so much! :D This review was absolutely heartwarming and made my day. I will definitely continue writing this story and I hope to improve my writing for all of you. I have no words for this review, I literally started crying on the train. Thank you! :)

 **Uniquely Blonde**

Thank you! :) I'm also really impatient for them to get together but I guess I'm aiming to build up the romance, make them realise how much they like each other, and definitely not in a platonic way. I guess I want them to be kind of best friends first and then each other's crushes so that that way, the shorter amount of time they've known each other (compared to Rucas) will even up. Hahaha, that's me with every ship as well. I actually once went to punch a wall because I was so mad that the girl of one of my ships went out with this other guy. But in the end, she realised she didn't like the guy she went out with so my ship won. (YAS) Anyway, Josh and Wendy are really protective in this chapter, like insanely protective. I'm planning for some quality Auggie and Riley time, like maybe Maya did come over to the house to try to talk to Riley but Auggie popped out of nowhere and started scolding her. I just love how protective Auggie is over his sister, even though he's so much younger than her. I feel really bad for making Farkle act like such a jerk but I'm trying to make it more dramatic when Riley and him finally talk to one another. Thank you! :) I actually went through all the scenes of Smackle in my head and tried to kind of recreate that blunt/straightforward personality. Riley remembering Lucas was kind of showing that she's not 100% over him, which will help strengthen the triangle drama and make it more realistic that she really can't choose. Drama in real life sucks, for example, my class in school always argues on WhatsApp at least once every two months and it's just so frustrating. Most of the time it's because of this girl called Lynelle (very rude girl). Anyway, thank you! :D

 **Guest**

I love you too! :)

 **22GinnyBloomPotter**

Thank you for subscribing and making some time to review! :) Thank you so much for this nice review! I feel like everyone takes advantage of Riley's kindness in the show and they always treat her rudely because they feel that she's 'Princess Dancing Sunshine' and whatever they do wrong to her, she would simply forgive them no matter what. It's really annoying. But besides that, thank you for this! :D

 **Guest/~Grace~**

Thank you for another review! :D Your reviews are so encouraging and I love reading them. You're super sweet! :) I'm really sorry for the late update, I'll try to speed up my updates. Riley and her parents will make up. I don't want Riley to have a broken family and plus, I really love her family together.

 **2Book-lover11189**

Thank you so much! :D In my country, we don't have Summer but we do have June and December holidays at least. However, thank you anyway! :)

 **Guest (The one who agreed with Confused and GuestAB.)**

I'm not offended by your review, I understand that criticism is required for me to improve my writing. I'm glad that I didn't offend you! :) Thank you! :D Maya and him actually have a reasonable explanation for kissing on Riley's bed, which will be explained in the Winter Formal chapter.

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter, thank y'all so much for the immense support and unbelievable love. I'm really sorry for such a late update and I'll try my best to not let my own personal problems get into my way of updating this fanfic. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 ** _HeroesOfOlympus_**


	19. Chapter 19

**_HeroesOfOlympus_**

 **Heyyy ya'll! Once again, I'm really sorry for such a late update. I had to prepare for my examinations and take them as well but now that they're over, and my school year is soon coming to a close, I'll be able to make more time to write. This chapter isn't longer than the usual, it's 2,390 words and I'm sorry if you were expecting more. It's touching a lot on how affected Riley really is by all of this drama. I'm not a doctor, hence this chapter may be inaccurate if you compare it to real life, so please keep that in mind. My goal is to update chapter 20 by the end of October as on the 18th October, it is the one year anniversary of this story! :D (Which is coincidental, considering 20 is my favourite number.) I'm hoping to get Farkle and Riley's parents back together with Riley in that chapter, so it's probably going to be quite a long chapter.** **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please review, favourite and follow.** **Without further ado, here is Chapter 20 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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Shutting the door behind her, Riley pressed her back against the smooth oak wood, slowly sliding down onto the ground. Her wavy brown hair fell around her face like a curtain as she hooked her arms around her muscular legs, gathering her limbs towards her as she dropped her forehead onto her knees.

There was total silence in the bathroom for a moment, which was soon followed by the faint sounds of shouting erupting. The screams pounded in her head for a while before they slowly drifted away from her. The voices gradually grew more distant, until all that was left was her thoughts and herself.

The bathroom was dimly lit, with only a flickering candle in the corner that filled the air with a cinnamon scent. Usually, Riley would find sweet smells, such as cinnamon, calming and relaxing but right now, the smell just overwhelmed her, making her choke on the air she was breathing in.

Despite the feeling of her lungs getting clogged up, she stayed in her position in the corner of the room, too tired to get up and blow out the candle. Pushing the thoughts of the candle away, she stared at the tiles on the bathroom floor, remaining silent and rigid. The only sign that showed that she was still alive was the sound of her heavy breathing filling the room.

Aware that she was now away from all the peering eyes, Riley finally broke. The familiar tears prickled her eyes for a moment, wanting to flow freely down her face, but Riley refused to let her tears fall, feeling tired of crying all the time. She wanted to be strong. Strong for Josh, strong for Auggie, strong for Logan.

Strong for herself.

However, her mind clearly didn't want to cooperate with her as flashbacks of the dinner entered her mind, replaying over _and_ over, again _and_ again. Dropping her head into her hands, she took in a shaky breath, feeling her chest slowly constricting and soon enough, she was gasping for air. Despite her deep breaths, she felt suffocated and the fact that the candle's strong scent was wafting through the air made her feel even worse.

Everything seemed so overwhelming, the brightness, even though Riley was practically sitting in darkness, the smells and the sounds. Although the deafening shouting made it seem like there were a million people outside, when there was in fact only twelve people, those were not the sounds that pounded in Riley's head.

On the other hand, it was her swirling thoughts of her insecurities and every moment, every word, and every person that had contributed to her current broken state. They filled every nook and cranny of her brain, all playing at the same time. Lucas, saying that she was too much for her, the screen of her phone flashing repeatedly with damaging messages, Farkle, saying that she ruined their first day of high school, her classmates all making fun of her.

Waves of people's faces flashed repeatedly in her head, their faces curled into snarls as they repeated every mean comment they had ever said to Riley. Even in her own brain, she wasn't able to stand up to them. She sat quietly in the corner of the bathroom, soaking in every insult being thrown at her inside her own head.

Suddenly, the sea of faces and their harsh words had disappeared completely, leaving a shaking Riley. The Brunette took in another uneasy breath, relieved that the horrendous experience inside her head had finally ended. Unfortunately, her mind wasn't quite finished with her yet. This time, a different face plagued her mind and it was probably the worst one yet.

A familiar Blonde face appeared clearly in front of her, her almost golden Blonde hair as flawless as usual, swept back in a high ponytail, channelling all Riley's focus onto her face. Squatting down, Maya gave that signature grin of hers but her eyes displayed a different emotion. A malicious smirk graced her face and a wicked gleam twinkled in her baby blue eyes.

"Maya?" Riley managed to choke out after a while, her doe eyes wide in alarm as she felt her heart thudding against her chest in nervousness and disbelief. Despite knowing that the person in front of her was not the real Maya and that she was probably just hallucinating, Riley felt herself go rigid as complete utter fear consumed her.

Still remaining seated on the bathroom floor, she stared up at the Blonde, inching away from the latter and trying to create more distance between the two of them. Gulping, Riley braced herself for what was about to come, her fingers shaking uneasily as they clasped onto her legs, bringing them as close as possible to her chest.

Just as she had expected, Maya began reciting every single hurtful thing she has ever said to Riley. The harsh words belittling Riley stung and even though the Brunette could never think of Maya as bad, the cruel words her 'best friend' was currently uttering had sadly been said by Maya in real life.

Silently chanting the word 'stop' under her breath repeatedly, Riley cowered in fear whilst clamping her hands over her ears, not wanting to hear any more of Maya's heart-wrenching words. Unfortunately, Maya's voice seemed to grow even louder and soon, Riley was unknowingly whimpering in her corner.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, the pearl-shaped teardrops sparkling under the inconsistent flickering candlelight, casting a warm yellow glow across Riley's face. It was pretty ironic, yellow was a colour associated with happiness, which was definitely not the feeling Riley was currently experiencing.

At first, the tears merely lingered in her eyes, her eyes fluttering repeatedly to try and blink them away, her long lashes heavy with tears. She was able to keep them at bay until 'Maya' said something that managed to break down the defenses Riley had tried _so_ hard to put up. The walls she had built around her crashed down in that moment, breaking her to the core.

The tears burst forth like water from a dam, rushing down her face before dripping off her chin, which was trembling like a leaf. Despite that, her cries remained silent, a few rebellious whimpers escaping her lips, no matter how hard she tried to keep them at bay.

She tasted something unfamiliar in her mouth, something metallic, like a penny. Slightly startled, she realised that her anxiety had overwhelmed her yet again, making her want to grasp onto something to stable her, which just so happened to be biting down on her cheek as hard as she could. The blood seeped from the open wound in her cheek and her stomach churned.

Scrambling up to her feet, she accidentally walked right through 'Maya', not phased by the Blonde anymore as she was desperate to get the blood out of her mouth. The blood just reminded her that she was weak. Weak for making up hallucinations of Maya and letting the rebellious teenager still get to her, hurting her even though Riley hadn't seen the Blonde in ages. Weak for being pathetic, crying over Maya who most probably became her friend just because she pitied the Brunette.

Clutching the sides of the sink, her fingers tried to dig into the cold metal but they just kept slipping against the smooth surface. Leaning forward, she released her grip on the sink and commanded herself to move her trembling hands. Shakily, she grabbed onto the switch for the faucet and twisted it, watching the water flow out from the tap and trying to focus on the sound it was making.

Ignoring the screaming 'Maya' behind her, Riley cupped the water in her hands, bringing them up to her lips and gulping the liquid. Gurgling the water in her mouth for a while, she finally spat it out, watching the once pure transparent liquid now tainted with crimson blood, slowly dripping into the drain.

"Riley," She suddenly heard the soft and vulnerable whisper behind her, and she felt her thumping heart almost immediately come to a screeching stop. It was different from the harsh, cold voice she had just heard minutes ago that had broken her soul. This tone was just as heart-wrenching, maybe even more, and it felt like her heart was breaking into a billion pieces.

Refusing to turn around and give it to the knawing guilt, Riley stood rigidly to the ground, keeping her head tilted down and trying to distract herself again with the blood-water mixture in the basin. "Honey," The voice tried again, cracking as if something was blocking the speaker's throat. Riley had only ever heard that tone from Maya whenever anything involving her father came up, and it was that exact tone that could make Riley turn away from whatever she was doing to immediately tend to Maya.

Shunning her brain which screamed at her to not turn around, Riley listened to her heart and unknowingly found herself shuffling her feet to turn around, her body now facing Maya. "Honey, please look up." Shaking her head, Riley kept her eyes trained on the ground, refusing to let herself suffer any more pain from the Blonde.

Unfortunately, her body was not compliant and her head shifted upwards, her eyes cracking open to meet Maya's baby blue eyes. "You promised, Riles." Maya sobbed, taking a confident step towards Riley and blinking back the shiny liquid decorating the border of her eyelids.

"You promised to never leave me like my father did."

Biting back another sob, Riley took in an uneasy breath, trying to look away from Maya but the Blonde's strong personality forced her to keep her brown eyes on the girl, who was on the brink of tears, in front of her. "Does my love and trust not mean anything? You were the first person I ever trusted!" Maya screamed, the timid-like demeanour now replaced with that strong Amazon warrior attitude.

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom creaked open but Riley couldn't turn her attention to the person at the doorway, too focused on Maya. "I trusted you." Were the last words that came from Maya's plump lips before the hallucination of Maya left one last shattered look directed to Riley, and disappeared.

It took a few moments for Riley to compose herself, bringing her attention away from the spot where she had last seen the impactful Blonde to the person standing in front of her, his hands gripping tightly onto her shoulders and slightly shaking her. "Riley, are you okay?" the familiar voice she had always heard enthusiastically in class was now concerned and strangely quieter.

"She was here, I saw her."

Seeing the puzzled look on the boy's face and the raised eyebrow, Riley clarified, her clouded eyes now shifting back to their clear enchanting brown-gold selves. "Maya was here." She whispered, unnerved by her recent exchange with her best friend. Eyebrows shooting upwards, the boy gripped Riley's shoulders even tighter, absolute worry and concern on his face.

"Riley, Maya couldn't have been here. She's at home with Katy and Shawn, having Christmas dinner." The boy explained. Shaking her head firmly, Riley persisted, "No, Farkle. She was here, telling me stuff." Farkle chewed on his lower lip nervously, making use of his gangly limbs to stretch to the doorway and flip open the light switch, also locking the door after a moment of thinking.

Steering Riley to the toilet bowl, he pressed down on her shoulders to make her sit on the seat and kneeled in front of her. "What did she tell you?" Farkle questioned, making use of Riley's current dazed and vulnerable state. He knew if he caught Riley at any other time, she would try her best to make up a lie before running away but she was clearly unstable now, and he would be a complete idiot if he didn't make use of his time now.

"She told me the same stuff she told me in my dreams. Degrading words she's said in real life that I keep stored in my mind and some other stuff I made up." Riley croaked, swallowing the lump in her throat uneasily, her eyes looking off into the distance. Her eyes once again turned back to Farkle and she continued, "It's kind of the same stuff I hear from you and the others in my head."

His quick mind processed the information Riley had given him and he understood what was going on. Her days of anxiety and number of sleepless nights made use of her darkest thoughts, reminders of what she thought made her a failure, to create an epitome of her insecurities and her failure as a person.

This epitome chose to take shape as none other than Maya, someone who had the greatest impact on Riley's life, to make sure the effects of this problem would be one hundred percent effective, causing the greatest possible influence in Riley's life.

At that moment, looking at the girl he had promised to love equally the same as Maya, he knew immediately he had broken that promise. If he did love them equally, he should have been paying as much attention to Riley as he did with Maya. He should have noticed sooner what state Riley was in. He should have noticed the dark circles under her eyes that she desperately tried to cover up with makeup and the usual bright light in her eyes now diminished, now replaced with a tired and broken look.

How could he have missed this? How could he have missed one of the best people in his life slowly losing themselves to their insecurities? He knew that he was a contributing factor to the current state of Riley, this insecure, broken and sad shell of what she once was. He couldn't help but stare deep into the pools of Riley's eyes and feel that it was his fault that his sun had turned into this depressing darkness.

And he swore under his breath that he would do whatever it took to get his Riley, his sun, back.

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 **Stonier91yahoo**

Thank you! :) Hopefully, the next update will be quicker.

 **DarkyRawrz**

HAHAHA, sorry for the cliffhanger. Here is the next chapter, as promised. Hope you enjoy! :)

 **Bruce Wayne**

Thank you! :) By the way, I love your username. Bruce Wayne is one of my favourite DC characters.

 **BrothersBestFriends**

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 **ChordOverstreetFan**

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 **PixieDreamer21**

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 **Guest AB**

Updated! Sorry for the late chapter again and what happens with Topanga will be in the next chapter. Auggie can't live with Josh as the dorm isn't big enough, plus Riley's parents are actually treating Auggie okay.

 **Guest/Mikayla (Who gave me the idea for Wade's love interest)**

Hey again! Thank you for letting me use the idea, I'm really excited to start crafting out Lucas' sister's personality. Adding her to the story will also give another reason for Riley not trusting Lucas fully since Lucas never told Riley about his sister. May I please use your name Mikayla for future replies? It'll make it easier and I really love your name, it's beautiful. Thank you so much! :D This review made my day and I hope you enjoy your creative writing class! Thank you for the birthday wish and for this review.

 **swmmvsel**

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 **Wicked Misty**

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 **rosesterling100**

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 **HJolly**

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 **Mickey101**

Thank you so much for reading!:D Logan's rant will 100% be in the next chapter. Thank you for the birthday wish! :) Happy belated birthday to you! :D Thank you for your concern and encouraging words.

 **volleyballer82**

Thank you so much for your care and concern! :) Thank you so much, this really means the world to me. You're absolutely sweet and caring too! Thank you so much! :) There will be some Rucas in future chapters, right now I'm just trying to make sure Riley gets to know Logan more.

 **sigheliz**

Hahaha, more drama will be happening in the next chapter.

 **Sanchezashley**

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 **Guest (Who gave his/her thoughts in a list)**

Thank you so much! :) I don't mind, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Her parents will try to make it right because even though they currently aren't acting like it, they still are Riley's parents. I purposely made Cory, and I quote, 'spineless' as I've always noticed he's never acted bias towards Maya in the show, whereas Topanga has always shown favouritism towards Maya. I've noticed he always does what Topanga tells him to as well. Anyway, back to the whole spineless thing, Cory's actually reflecting over what everyone is saying, hence how quiet he is. He definitely will be redeeming himself first before Topanga does. I'm planning for Farkle to become her friend again because, in the show, he doesn't show any favouritism between Maya and Riley. Thank you for understanding my lack of updates! :) I wish I could just sit in front of my laptop and write all day for y'all but unfortunately, school (bleh.) is a thing.

 **Guest/~Grace~**

Thank you so much for the birthday wish and the chapter compliment! :D I do have some anxiety issues and I feel depressed often. Thank you for your concern! :) Same to you, if you ever struggle too much with your anxiety, I'm here for you.

 **tomfeltonlover1991**

-Replied through Private Message-

 **Fangirlingcrybaby**

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 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Thank y'all so much for the love and support, and please remember to favourite, follow and review! Hopefully, the next chapter will be extremely long and get updated by the end of October as a celebration of the one year anniversary of this fanfic. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	20. Chapter 20 (1 Year Anniversary Special)

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm back again and I know, I know, I didn't reach my aim to post this chapter before November and I'm really sorry to have gotten your hopes up. However, in celebration of Girl Meets Alone and Broken's 1 year Anniversary (which was on the 18th October), this chapter has exactly 6,515 words in total, which is approximately 4,515 more words than usual! :D I really hope y'all enjoy this special chapter.**

 **Also, I have some very IMPORTANT news. I have just opened my first voting/poll and this poll is for Wade! Please make sure to check it out and vote for who Wade's potential love interest will be+his sexuality. The poll is on my account so all y'all need to do is press my username, which will bring you to my profile page and you can just click on the poll.**

 **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please review, favourite and follow.** **Without further ado, here is the very special Chapter 20 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

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Genius.

It was a word Farkle was accustomed to hearing from others whenever they were asked to describe him, and if he was being honest, he liked describing himself with that word as well. It wasn't that he was conceited, it was just a well-known fact that he was a genius and every school he had ever attended could testify to that.

He was much smarter than his seniors, some would say even smarter than his teachers, and he could have actually skipped several grades. However, he always refused the repeating offers to move up a few grades because of his friends. More specifically, the two girls who had stolen his heart since the moment he had met them.

He had sworn to love both of them equally but he had broken that promise. If he had loved the two girls equally, why was he in the bathroom with one of them staring off into the distance, the rims of her eyes crimson and puffy, and the usually bright brown eyes now bloodshot, as if she had been crying?

If he had loved the two girls equally, why was the same crying girl confessing to her doubts about her friends' and family's love for her? If he had loved the two girls equally, why was the Brunette girl confiding in him about her many recurring nightmares she had of her loved ones, including him, repeating hurtful things they had said to her in real life?

With the many thoughts clouding his mind, he wondered how others, and him most importantly, could have ever thought he was a genius. Looking at the girl who looked like she had given up on life itself, his conscience prickled him as a heart-wrenching pain gripped him. 'If I were truly a genius, I would have noticed _this_ earlier.' The guilty thought knawed in his brain as he tried to push it away but to no avail.

"Riley, I'm sorry." He whispered sincerely, gripping tightly onto her clasped hands. His mind went blank, something uncommon for the genius who always had something to say. Words didn't seem good enough to express his extreme guilt and sorrow for forcing his friend into this dark and painful path.

Groping for the words the way someone might grope for a light switch in the dark, he managed to come up with a sentence. The only problem was that he found his throat closed off, the only sounds coming out from him being stutters and sharp breaths. Finally, he managed to string a coherent sentence, choking out the words that had been lodged in his throat, and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Please, just shout at me. Tell me what I've done wrong, tell me I've been a horrible friend, tell me I broke my promise to love you and Maya the same." _Anything to make you feel better_ were the unspoken words that lingered in Farkle's eyes and their years of friendship paid off as Riley could see them clearly.

Ducking her head, Riley nibbled on her bottom lip, a nervous trait she had developed over the years. Feeling the apprehension and worry from Farkle at her silence, she peered up from her hands, staring quizzically at her longtime friend, tilting her head to the side as her lips pressed against one another, forming a thin line.

"Farkle, what are you talking about?" She asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern and confusion. "You haven't done anything wrong, I'm the one that has been a bad friend." The tremble in her voice was evident and Farkle could hear how genuine those words were, which worried him sick, forcing him to grab onto something before he toppled over or even worse, vomited.

Widening his eyes, Farkle took in a sharp, startled breath, disbelief clearly shining in his eyes. How could this girl, who had _clearly_ been betrayed and abandoned by her friends and family, think that it was all her fault? 'Because she's Riley, she never thinks anyone is at fault except for her...' Farkle mused, his heart clenching in guilt for what _he_ put Riley through and what he made her believe.

Shaking her head defiantly, Riley seemed to have read his thoughts as she uttered, "I know you believe that it's your fault because you left me," She licked her lips nervously, scrunching her face as she composed her thoughts before delivering her next words cautiously. "But that's my point. If you, and Maya, and Lucas, and everyone else chose to leave me, it _must_ mean that _I_ did something to make all of you leave me."

Mouth agape, Farkle tugged Riley's hands, moving her down to the floor with him. Gingerly, his arm coiled around her back, his hand placed on top of her shoulder. With the sides of their bodies pressed against one another, the two sat in silence as Farkle waited anxiously for Riley's next words. "I brought it upon myself." Her voice cracked, her eyes pleading to let the tears roll down her cheeks but due to Riley's strong will, she forcefully blinked them away.

Moving his head from side to side, Farkle stated sternly, "No." Looking over to one of her best friends, Riley's eyebrows shot upwards in pure incredulity, surprised at his usual bluntness mixed with the determined tone she had only heard him use during his debates. "No?" She asked with her eyes clouded over, repeating what he had said like she had never heard that word before.

"It was not your fault, Riles. It's ours, and most importantly, mine." Holding up a finger, his eyes blazed so clearly with resolution that Riley found no point in speaking against him. Farkle was the type of guy the moment he was adamant about getting a point across, he would never leave any room for argument. "We did this to you. We broke the most important person in our lives, someone who has always been by our side through thick and thin."

"Remember that time when I found out I had the possibility of being autistic? Both you and Maya were defensive, saying I wasn't. But after a short while, you toned down whilst Maya was still protesting against the aspect of me having autism." Taking Riley's hand in his, he gave a light squeeze before continuing his reminiscing, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"You don't know this but that was one of my favourite memories of you because you didn't care if I had autism, I was _still_ the same Farkle you have known and loved. When we did the autism test, Maya told me to stop doing the unique things that made me, well, me. You, on the other hand, didn't protest because I _knew_ that you found nothing wrong with being autistic and nothing wrong with me being me."

"Whenever I do small trivial things to Maya, she gets angry at me. Like that time when we were throwing the papers saying what we couldn't do or be into the bin, I missed and shot the paper ball at her. She wanted to attack me and that was certainly _not_ the first time she threatened me over a small matter. You though, you never get upset with me, let alone threaten me, over small and big things. Not even when I told everyone that you still liked Lucas on the rooftop on New Years Day."

Eyes fluttering closed, Farkle began recalling out-loud the many events where Riley had his back and showed her love for him. Once he felt that the number of examples he had given were sufficient enough to get his point across, he stopped and gave Riley a while to soak in his words, to try and get a vague idea of what he was saying.

Clearing his throat, Farkle gave Riley's shoulder a squeeze, managing to get her to focus her eyes on him. "My point is, it couldn't have been your fault because you've been the greatest friend anyone could ever have. You're our sun, Riles. And we're planets that revolve around you and can never survive without you." He murmured, trying to put in as much sincerity in his voice.

Farkle wasn't the most emotional person, so the moment Riley saw his eyes gloss with tears and his Adam's apple bob up and down repeatedly, she reached up, gently grabbing his head and pulling it down to her shoulder. Lending the boy her shoulder to cry on, Farkle buried his head into the crook of her neck, his tears seeping through Riley's turtleneck and forming a large puddle of tears.

Holding Farkle in her arms, Riley waited patiently for him to let out all his tears, one arm on his back and rubbing it, while the other hand was smoothing down his pecan brown hair. She listened to his soft sobs sounding in the air, her heart clamouring against her chest as she wanted nothing more than to bear his pain if it meant taking it away from him.

Sniffling, the genius pulled away, quickly composing himself and furiously rubbing his tears away, chiding himself for crying when the only person with a reasonable excuse to shed tears was Riley. She was the one that had always had the group's best interest at heart and made so many sacrifices for them, even though she seldom received any gratitude for those said sacrifices.

And all she got from them, in the end, was abandonment, harsh words, and horrible memories.

Once he made sure there were no tears left under his eyes or on his face, Farkle turned back to Riley, bracing himself for a look of hatred or anger from her, despite knowing deep down the girl was too sweet to do that. He could've prevented all of Riley's pain if he had just told her all of this earlier, so the girl had the right to be furious at him for making her go through all that sorrow.

However, the instant Riley looked into Farkle's eyes, she knew what he was thinking and tried to convey an expression of love to show the genius that she didn't hate him. Astounded by the way Riley peered at him through her long, thick lashes, like Farkle was everything good in this world, Farkle asked in bewilderment, "How can you still look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you still love me."

Her eyelids squeezed shut as she took in a long breath of air that sounded suspiciously like a sigh of exasperation. "Why would I not love you?" She stated bluntly, a reassuring smile overtaking the turned down corners of her mouth. The way she phrased her words made it seem like her love for him was the most obvious fact in the world, and it should and could not be questioned.

Clenching his fists tightly, Farkle peered upwards, the ceiling lights of the bathroom reflecting onto his brown eyes, making the tears in them shine brightly. "Maybe because I did all those dreadful things to hurt you, make you feel abandoned and sad. Or maybe because I feel guilty that I broke my promise to love both you and Maya equally. Perhaps it's because I ruined one of the best relationships in my life!" He shouted, sliding his hands from the top to the bottom of his face.

"I can't even love myself now, knowing what I did to you. So, why should you love me?" He finished, his hands falling into his lap as he revealed a face full of sorrow and guilt. Shaking her head persistently, Riley took his hands in hers this time, rubbing circles on the back of his hands, trying the method Logan used whenever he was trying to soothe her.

Giving a sad smile, Riley brushed away a piece of his shaggy brown hair that had fallen into his eyes as she placed a finger under his chin, lightly pushing it upwards so that she could see his face. "I love you because you're here now Farkle, and that's all that matters." Hearing those words from Riley, Farkle's body shook with silent sobs, wondering how anyone could be so loving and forgiving to a person who had contributed to their damage.

As the tears that had been building up in his eyes started to drip down, his once blurry eyesight cleared and he saw the way Riley was studying him thoughtfully, as if she were reading the pages of a book. Wrinkling her brow, Riley abruptly leaned away from Farkle, tightening her lips as her mind seemed to be crowded with thoughts. "Let's agree on something, okay?"

With the urgency in her voice, the Brunette genius's curiosity took over him as he nodded his head eagerly, succumbing to his inquisitive and intelligent nature. "This," She gestured between the both of them, "Is both our faults. It's _not_ mine alone and it's definitely _not_ yours alone, we share the burden. No one should be carrying this kind of baggage by themselves."

Seeing how her eyes were hard in determination and there was no way she was going to back down, Farkle nodded his head uneasily, still thinking it was his fault, and judging by Riley's relentless fidgeting, she still thought it was her fault too. "I know you still think it's your fault, Riles." He exclaimed, wishing he could have more control of his mouth as he caught the raised eyebrow from Riley, knowing the word 'hypocrite' was probably running through her mind.

"What I mean to say is, it's okay though. Healing takes time and I'll be here, by your side, throughout the whole process." He gave a tiny reassuring smile that seemed to be more for him than for Riley. Clasping and unclasping his hands as if he was in constant need of touch and reassurance, Riley quickly moved her hands to his again, providing the touch he needed. "I'm not going anywhere this time. And I fully plan on keeping this promise."

Plucking out one of the many quotes he stored in his brain that he deemed appropriate for this situation, Farkle recited, "'In order to heal, we must first forgive and sometimes the person we must forgive is ourselves.' Mila Bron." Familiar with Farkle's endearing quirk to sprout out random facts or quotes, Riley simply nodded her head, soaking in the meaningful words.

With the two teenagers' backs against the wall and their fingers' twining in between each other, Riley shifted her head to rest on Farkle's shoulder, the soft brown locks spilling over the boy's shoulder. "I forgive you, Farkle. And remember, I never stopped loving you." She channeled all the love she could into those few words, making a crack of a smile stretch onto Farkle's face as she prayed that she had just started Farkle on his journey to forgiving himself.

Those simple words ran on repeat in Farkle's head as he felt the first step of rebuilding their friendship complete and his heart swelled at thought of having the easy and trustable relationship with Riley again. "Remember those favourite memories I was talking about? This is definitely my favourite one with you by far." He muttered, his chest rising and falling at a steady rate, contentment shining on his face.

"This is my favourite one of you too." She breathed, the weight lifting off Farkle's shoulders as he listened to her. A feeling sneaked its way into Riley's heart, an old friend that went by the name Hope. And with that emotion in her heart, Riley felt more lighter and carefree than she had ever experienced in a long time.

Their comfortable silence was rudely interrupted by an abrupt and loud noise echoing around the house. The sound had made its way through the thin walls of the bathroom and into the two teenagers's ears. "What was that?" Farkled demanded, shooting up from the floor. Nibbling on her bottom lip, Riley rose alongside Farkle but far more gently.

For Farkle, it was his ever-curious nature that made him desperate to find out what had caused that noise but for Riley, it was a completely different reason. She was worried that Logan had lost his temper and his rash actions could potentially cause her whole entire family to hate him, which would not be good if any of her relatives decided to pop over while Logan was with her.

But she was mainly worried at what kind of reactions Logan would be on the receiving end of. She hated the thought of Logan being attacked and verbally assaulted by her family just because he was protecting her. She didn't deserve such a sacrifice, she didn't deserve him.

Nudging the door open with his foot, Farkled gestured towards Riley to follow him after bringing up a finger to his lips, informing her to remain silent. The door was slightly ajar, letting a slice of light out from the bathroom to curve along the floor outside. Sliding between the tiny gap made by cracking open the door, the two Brunettes stepped into the hallway, flicking off the light switch and shutting the door behind them.

Heading towards the dining room with an almost slither-like movement, silent and quick, Farkle peered around the corner in a comical manner before snapping his whole body back around, his lips parted to form a shape appropriate for a gasp. Raising an eyebrow, Riley blatantly ignored Farkle's desperate and silent pleas for her to stay where she was as she stuck her head around the corner.

She had not known what to expect but it certainly was not what was currently laid out in front of her eyes. The ancient and poor quality table she had some of her fondest memories with—such as running around while playing catch with Maya when they were in Elementary school, talking with her parents when they _used_ to care about her, and trying different recipes to make for Auggie and her to enjoy together—was broken into two, the edges where the two halves had originally been connected now jagged, with bits of wood sticking out.

In the middle of the two table pieces were the pots, utensils, plates and everything else that had been on top of the dining furniture. These objects had most probably slid downwards when the table was broken in the middle as they were all piled up in one big heap. Seeing the many plates all shattered and broken beyond repair, she sympathised with them.

As her eyes followed the trail of destruction and where everybody's eyes were focused on, she ended up staring directly at none other than Logan. If she thought Lucas was bad whenever he switched to his 'Texas Lucas' side, there weren't any words that would truly do justice to how Logan currently was. Anger seemed to have changed Logan entirely and he suddenly looked like he had never experienced joy in his life before.

She could feel herself involuntarily shrinking away from Logan, even though his glare was not directed towards her. His usually vibrant blue-green eyes, that could sometimes shine so strongly with happiness that he didn't need to smile, had turned dark, switching into a swirling mass of raw anger and burning rage. The negative feelings were so evident in his eyes that he didn't even need to furrow his eyebrows, which was one of the many facial expressions linked to being angry.

His face, on the other hand, had become rigid, jaw clamped tight and his pearly white teeth grinding. His shoulders were squared as his fists were convulsing with suppressed rage. Catching his deathly pale clenched hands, Riley scanned them frantically, trying to get a glimpse of any blood or serious injury on them as she knew he had used his them to break the table.

" _Shut_ the hell up, Topanga." He snarled more than spoke. Taken aback by his disrespectful tone, a dumbfounded look flashed onto Topanga's face as she looked to others around the table in disbelief, not used to being treated rudely. "I know what I said and I don't take it back. I will not treat you respectfully until I see you doing it to others, Topanga." He stated, his voice with a hard edge. Stretching the adult's name, which simply aggravated the lawyer, Logan shot her a quick glare, warning her to not say a word, before continuing.

"For once in your entire life, would you _please_ get off your high horse and listen to others? Stop thinking you can never do anything wrong and that you're absolutely perfect because you are _not_. Get that through your egoistic thick skull." He commanded in such a domineering tone that left no room for argument as he looked over piercingly at Topanga, with a hint of tiredness on his face.

He looked like he wanted nothing more than to land a punch into the adults's faces. Suddenly, the burning passion to hurt somebody had diminished in a blink of an eye, and Riley had to convince herself that the rage in his eyes had been there. Instead, his eyes were now scarily calm and collected, as if he was entirely a new person.

Hiding his bruised fists behind his back, Logan straightened his posture, making himself tower over Topanga and Cory. "You're a lawyer, aren't you?" He asked curtly, his tone suggesting it was a rhetorical question. Nonetheless, Topanga nodded her head in response, her chin slightly tilting upwards and her eyes gleaming, expressing how proud she was of her occupation.

Giving an agonizingly slow blink to frustrate the mother, Logan took a step to the side so that he was directly facing the lawyer. "Well, let's treat this like a court case, with evidence and appropriate behaviour from each representative. I assume you do know what I mean by _appropriate_ behaviour?" Logan stressed on the last two words, a small quirk of his lips showing that he fully meant to insult Topanga.

Gritting her teeth, Topanga tolerated Logan's rude comment, knowing he just wanted to get a rise out of her to prove that she couldn't act appropriately. Arrogance filled her as she was determined to win this 'case' like any other one. 'Besides,' She thought smugly, 'What could a teenage _boy_ do against a real lawyer like me, Topanga Lawrence-Matthews?'

"You may proceed." She used a sharp tone, repressed anger bubbling inside of her, waiting for the right moment to explode and attack anyone opposing her. "Do you know how your words affect Riley? They may seem small, even playful, at first but after a while, it starts to hurt and sting a little. You already know Riley is insecure and yet, you add to her insecurities by calling her weird and silly."

"While you're calling Riley those hurtful names, you tell Maya that you're proud of her, you appreciate her, you think she's pretty fierce and you think she's an Amazon Warrior. You're _oblivious_ to the fact that your daughter is standing right beside Maya, having to listen to her own mother praising Maya while she gets all the insults or simply gets ignored. Riley just wants your approval, wants you to be proud of her, but you seem to be so focused on Maya that you can't even bother to remind your own daughter that you're proud of her too."

"Also, to deflect your accusation of nobody ever hurting or ignoring Riley, remember that time when Riley was getting bullied? First of all, you left it all up to Maya and Riley's other friends to fix the problem when the rightful action for any parents to take is to comfort their own child, not leave it up to their child's friends."

"You even went as far as to say, and I quote, 'Riley, take a hint please so we can all be done with this.' You knew she was acting strange but yet, you told her those words which implies that you didn't care she was acting out of character. You just wanted her to be 'done with this', which shows that you were brushing off a matter that was clearly affecting your child's behaviour only because you didn't want to have to deal with anything."

By this time, Logan's voice had started dripping with spite and he was practically grinding out the words between clenched teeth. He had taken on a more hardened tone the moment he could see the obvious signs that Topanga was bristling with anger, frustrated that the lawyer couldn't just admit to her faults. Cory had to restrain his wife, his hands gripped around her arm, pulling her back at one point where she had given a little jolt out of her seat, looking as if she was about to pounce on top of Logan.

Before Logan could continue giving more examples, Riley mustered up every ounce of her courage and marched right into the dining room, out of the protection of the shadows. She fought down the urge to stiffen in fear and instead, stood there boldly and resolutely. Wheeling around in surprise, Logan looked at Riley incredulously whilst her parents jostled from their seats.

Catching her eye, the tension in Logan's posture suddenly loosened and Riley could tell that he knew what she wanted. It was slightly surprising that Logan had read her so easily, as if she was a person who put their heart on their sleeve, considering the fact that everybody else that had known her longer than he did could never figure out how Riley was _truly_ feeling underneath her mask of happiness and innocence.

Slumping against his seat, Logan crossed his arms over his chest and Riley wanted nothing more than to giggle at how adorable he looked when he was pouting. Feeling lighter at Logan's unintentional cute expression, Riley found it easier to continue from where Logan left off. Stalking over to the broken table, Riley stood in front of her parents, feeling like she had been thrown back in time and she was just a little girl again, receiving a scolding from her parents.

Landing her eyes on Topanga, Riley blocked everything else in the world, focusing entirely on her mother, hoping to get her message across to the proud woman. "The day when the yearbooks came out, you knew I wasn't myself but yet you didn't try to talk to me or anything. You just said 'I give up' and left. Do you know how it feels to be on the receiving end of someone, your mother no less, implying to you that they give up on you? They give up on any problems you have?" Heart constricting in pain, Riley managed to fight back the rising tears, cursing herself for being so emotional.

"Do you recall that time I spoke up for the girls in my class against the discrimination against females for STEM? I spoke up for them because I wanted to be just like _you_ , I wanted to do something that would finally end up in you telling me you were proud of me. Was that attention seeking of me? Maybe. But I just wanted to hear the pride in your voice for once, I just wanted you to praise me the way you always praise Maya."

"I should have known better. Instead, you simply stood at the door and told me it was just a known fact that girls didn't participate in STEM. The woman I thought would be the most persistent to solve this problem just stood in my doorway, shrugging her shoulders and not looking like she cared a single bit about this situation. That was until I told you Maya dropped the marble. _Then_ you decided to interfere in this matter."

Letting out a sarcastic bark of laughter, Riley shook her head, her eyes flitting upwards to the ceiling, seeming like a half-hearted eye roll when in fact, it was just a way to discreetly blink away the tears rolling in her eyes. "That's what I realised. You interfere in matters only when Maya is concerned. Not me, your own daughter, but Maya. Of course, your daughter's best friend is more important than your daughter." Riley finished off with that sarcastic statement, her voice starting to rise hysterically.

Shifting her body so that it was facing Cory's direction, which made Topanga feel like she was a student being dismissed by a teacher, Riley forced down the lump in her throat. Cory was her father, the parent Riley had thought would always be by her side. Deep down, Riley knew her mother preferred Maya over her and sometimes wished that Maya was her daughter instead of Riley.

She knew she was lucky enough to have both parents, so it shouldn't be a problem to let Maya have her mother. The Blonde deserved having another parent in her life, considering the fact that her father left when she was young and her mother was too busy with work to spend the appropriate amount of time with her daughter. At least she still had a father who spent every free moment he had with her.

Guiltily, Riley had to admit that she was always relieved that Cory had never shown any favouritism towards Maya. She knew Maya deserved having a father figure in her life but Riley was glad that her best friend hadn't chosen Cory as the father she needed. The Brunette was starting to miss having a mother dearly and she didn't want to lose her father as well.

Despite knowing that the more time Maya spent with Topanga, the less of a mother figure she would have in her life, Riley continued to nudge the lawyer towards Maya, blocking the voice in her head that begged her to stop doing so. When she had finally lost her mother to Maya, Riley reassured herself that her father would still stand by her, be the parent that told her he loved her, he cared about her, he was proud of her, he _noticed_ her.

He was the more caring parent, less strict and didn't care much about achievements, just that his children were good people. He was all about 'blood is thicker than water', which was why she was always daddy's little girl. She could relate to her father. They were both emotional and relied heavily on their hearts instead of their mind. Hence, Riley assumed her father would be with her during her lonely and dark time.

But he hadn't. He had gravitated towards Maya like everybody else.

"Dad," She sobbed out, letting her voice become vulnerable for the first time throughout this whole dinner. She sighed and closed her eyes, a single tear managing to squeeze itself out her tightly shut brown orbs. Shakily, she forced herself to continue as she averted her gaze away from Cory, not wanting to catch a glimpse of the disappointment that was surely there.

"Throughout this whole situation, you have kept quiet by your wife's side. I-" Riley's quivering voice paused, the words getting stuck in her throat. It was one thing to stand up to someone who was always fierce and stiff, and it was another thing altogether to stand up to someone who was always full of warmth and love.

While Riley tried to compose herself, she was oblivious to the fact that her words had really made an impact on Topanga. The lawyer would have to be lying if she said that the way Riley referred to her as Cory's wife instead of 'Mum' didn't sting. Swallowing the sharp pain that had shot through her body, Topanga remained still by Cory's side, listening to Riley's every word with a bated breath.

Instead of continuing where she had left off with her father, Riley started to struggle with her breathing as she suddenly felt like her rib cage had a mind of its own, pressing backwards and not restricting her to breathe in or out. All of a sudden, a calm feeling washed over her, the source of it coming from her left hand. Without needing to look, she knew without a doubt that it was Logan tenderly lacing his fingers between hers that had given her that soothing feeling.

Once her breathing was more regulated, the Brunette reluctantly commanded herself to lift her head and stare at her parents right in their eyes, trying to convince herself that the faster she got this over with, the faster she could retreat back to Josh's dorm into the safety of Logan's arms wrapped around her. She was going to face this head first, unlike her usual method of conquering difficulties.

"Maybe you two were right at Topanga's, I am a disappointment." Raising the index finger on the hand not clasping onto Logan, Riley silenced the commotion stirring from her statement. Gesturing towards Topanga with a sharp movement of her head, Riley covered up how shaky her voice really was by continuing coldly.

"I know _she_ thinks I'm too weak to be the fierce Amazon Warrior like Maya and I'm too quirky to be as talented as Maya and all those other things." Waving her hand half-heartedly in the air, she tried to show the never-ending qualities of Maya that she would never achieve. "I'll never be Maya, which means I'll never be good enough for the both of you, for the both of you to love me."

"That used to sting a lot but after some help from Logan, it hurts less. He has shown me that I don't need to be Maya to be good enough for someone." Riley's voice had gone soft and tender when she mentioned the bad boy whilst her eyes flitted down to her and Logan's interlocked hands, slowly trailing up to reach the boy's unique eyes.

They gave each other a different type of smile, a smile that everyone else had never seen appear on their faces before. It wasn't a full-blown grin with their teeth flashing but rather, a more discreet smile with just the corners of their mouth tugging upwards slightly. It was like their respective smiles were reserved for only each other and it was so intimate and endearing that everyone else looked away, feeling like they were intruding on a moment.

The two teenagers were snapped out of their moment as an abrupt sound of a chair screeching against the hardwood floor sounded. Everyone's eyes flickered over in the direction of the noise and found themselves looking at Topanga standing rigidly. Seeing the lawyer, Logan immediately tensed, his grip on Riley's hand tightening protectively, letting the Brunette know that he was there for her.

"Riley, may we please speak alone with you?" Hearing how unexpectedly wobbly and unguarded Topanga's voice was, everyone couldn't help throwing the usually fierce lawyer a confused and guarded glance. They were all wondering if this was another trick up her sleeve just to get something she wanted, which was speaking to an unprotected Riley in private, or if she was actually letting her guard down.

Shooting up from his chair in a flash, Logan's patience seemed to have finally worn thin as his composed state had been switched right back into the frightening angry manner he had had previously been, except this time he didn't try to suppress his rage. Brows wrinkled in vexation, the veins in his wrist bulged out in ridges as he pointed his finger accusingly at the parents.

"If you think I'm going to let you alone with Riley after making her go through hell, you are definitely more insane that I thought you were!" Shouting venomously with his tone practically dripping in spite, Logan stomped across one half of the broken table, creating another long crack that ran all the way through. Peering down at Topanga, Logan didn't show a single ounce of respect towards her as he jabbed an accusing finger into her chest.

Automatically, Riley stretched her hand outwards to place it on top of Logan's shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze that immediately made the boy retract his arm from the mother. Shifting his hand so that it covered Riley's, the black-haired boy gave a reassuring pat, trying to show that he would reign in his anger and try his best to remain civil and calm.

Unfortunately, Logan's composure was short lived as the moment he comprehended the words that had come out of Riley's mouth, he looked like he was prepared to break another five tables just to relieve some of his tension. "We can talk in my old room." The second youngest Matthews said cooly, ignoring the protective remarks from the other people in the room trying to convince her to not talk alone with her mother.

Meeting Logan's worried yet proud eyes, Riley felt a pang in her heart for letting all his efforts this evening go to waste. Before she could even part her lips to apologise, the leather jacket wearing teenager snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her into a hug that made her heart thud so hard against her chest that she was afraid everyone in the room could hear it.

With her arms still circled around Logan's waist, Riley looked up into his anxious face as the boy spoke simply, "If you have to, go. But if they do anything to hurt you, leave immediately and tell me." There was a glint in his eyes that sent shivers up and down Riley's spine, and it had nothing to do with fear. Nodding her head, the self-proclaimed 'Princess Dancing Sunshine' was contemplating whether it would be appropriate to peck Logan on the cheek or not, just to show her appreciation.

However, she didn't have to think for long as the boy himself gently molded his hands around the sides of her face, leaning forward and without having to tilt his head down, pecked her on her forehead. Shivering at the contact, Riley forced down the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and reluctantly, moved away from Logan, leading the way to her old bedroom with her parents on her trail, her heart pulsating irregularly.

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 **Guest**  
I'm so sorry for the late update but the new chapter is approximately 6,000 words long, which is 4,000 words more than usual, so I hope that makes up for the late update. Hope you enjoy! :))

 **tomfeltonlover1991**  
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 **Guest AB**  
I know Topanga is nothing like her character on the show but for every story, there needs to be an antagonist so I exaggerated some points of Topanga and moments between her and Riley to form one of the 'bad guys' in the story. Cory and her redeem themselves in the next chapter.

 **Lolly**  
Thank you so much for the anniversary wish and review! :D Good luck for your applications to university and I hope you get into the school you want to! :) It's fine, don't apologise for not reviewing. Hope you enjoy the new chapter! :))

 **Carlyn858**  
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 **Mikayla**  
Thank you for the sweet review! :D It will definitely cause some drama but it'll be up to y'all if Lucas's sister will end up being Wade's potential love interest. There's actually a poll I set up on my account to vote for who the potential love interest for Wade would be, so if you have any time, be sure to check it out! :)) I've heard that song before. Anyway, thank you for providing more details on the character's personality through the song recommendation. :) Hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you once again for the idea!

 **PEACHESandBUNNY 17**  
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 **PixieDreamer21**  
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 **HJolly**  
Thank you so much for this sweet review! :) I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm so sorry I couldn't write more. I hope this chapter makes up for the previous short chapter! I agree that he would've noticed in the show but I wanted him to kind of be oblivious to it to make the emotions more powerful and raw, if that makes sense. Yeah, he didn't show favouritism but this fanfic is slightly au so I tweaked Farkle's character a bit. Spoiler if you haven't read the chapter yet: He does redeem himself in this! :)) I made Cory quiet throughout this fanfic and I'm really glad you noticed. His reasons will be explained in the next chapter and your reasoning for him is actually half right! ;) Shawn's redemption will either be before or after Maya's redemption. Hahaha, it's okay. I love reading all reviews, long and short. Thank you for the review and your views on this fanfic! :D Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

 **volleyballer82**  
Same, I feel so bad for Riley but the road to recovery isn't always smooth sailing. I love Farkle and Riley's friendship so much too! It's such a beautiful and underrated relationship, and I feel like a lot of people overlook the fact that Farkle knew Riley slightly as long as Maya did. Logan's rant isn't that long because I want Riley to stand up for herself and not depend too much on others to fight her own battle. Hope you enjoy the new chapter that's approximately 6,000 words, which is 4,000 words more than usual due to the celebration of the fic's one year anniversary! :) Thanks you for the review and the kind words! :D

 **Belle** **Goode**  
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 **madhattervirgo23**  
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 **GinnyBloomPotter**  
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 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Hope y'all enjoyed it and thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please favourite, follow and review! Also, please remember to check out the poll set up on my account to vote for Wade's sexuality+potential love interest. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! A belated Merry Christmas to anyone reading this and I hope y'all enjoyed yourselves on Christmas. Once again, I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in 50+ days. I recently went overseas to Italy and there was absolutely no WiFi connection there, and during the rare times which I could connect to the internet, I only had a maximum of five minutes. Anyway, this chapter is** **5,000+ words in total to make up for the weeks that I have been gone.**

In case y'all have not seen the previous chapter's author's note, **I have just opened my first voting/poll and the poll is for Wade! Please make sure to check it out and vote for who Wade's potential love interest will be+his sexuality. The poll is on my account so all y'all need to do is press my username, which will bring you to my profile page and you can just click on the poll.**

Another IMPORTANT NOTICE: **I have opened another poll and this one is for Shawn. Please make sure to check it out as well to vote for whether or not Riley should forgive Shawn. Instructions on how to find to poll is in the paragraph above!**

 **Anyway, thank y'all so much for the love and support!** **Please review, favourite and follow.** **Without further ado, here is the very late Chapter 21 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken! (Side note, I'm sorry if Riley or Cory seem out of character, I'll be explaining their weird behaviour/the reasons behind some of their actions soon.)**

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When Riley was the only child in her family, it was probably the best time she ever had with both her parents. She had their utmost attention for every single second of the day and whatever she accomplished, no matter how big or small, she would immediately receive some sort of recognition from them, something she hadn't been appropriately receiving for a long time.

She was never ignored, never the second-choice and never felt like she was nothing. During that blissful, almost dream-like, period, she was constantly told that she was loved and even if she failed at something, her parents wouldn't pick on her like they did now. Instead, they would be supportive and try to help her overcome that challenge she had failed.

When she was sad and would tuck herself into the far corner of her closet, her arms squeezed tightly around her legs that were pulled towards her chest, either one of her parents would come into the closet and comfort her. Whoever was there would drape Riley's fluffiest blanket over her body before squeezing next to her, wrapping their arms around the sobbing girl and holding her in that position for hours.

It didn't matter how trivial the matter she was crying about was, they would be there for her. And after Riley had dried up her tears and her body had stopped trembling with muffled sobs, whichever parent present would carry her out of the closet and into the light. Riley would snuggle up to the parent's side as they laid on her bed, muttering a thank you to her mummy or daddy before letting the darkness envelop her as she drifted off to sleep.

In those times of sadness, at least she had them by her side. But after Maya entered their lives, Riley found herself facing the darkness, her fears, all alone. What made it worse was when Maya was upset, she would tuck herself in the _same_ corner of Riley's closet and the Brunette would watch from the shadows as her parents rushed into the room, holding Maya in the _same_ position as they used to hold her.

That was the same sight she had seen during the dreadful Triangle months. That day, Maya had asked for space before she sat in Riley's closet spot. The Brunette had previously been anxiously waiting for the school day to end to just run into her room and sit in the spot that was her sanctuary but being the type of girl she was, Riley had let her Best Friend use the safety and comfort of her closet instead.

Seeing that Maya wasn't coming out of the wardrobe anytime soon, Riley had finally let all the pressure and stress from school, the Triangle and her insecurities out. She had let herself openly cry for the first time in months but even then, she had to keep her sobs quiet because of her consideration towards Maya.

Suddenly, the door to her room flung open and the teenager had cursed herself for not paying attention to listen for any footsteps that suggested her parents were coming. Her parents' eyes had landed on her, seeing her with tears dripping down from her face and they had rushed forward, their arms wide open, ready to envelop her in a hug.

Happiness had guiltily swelled up in Riley's chest as she had finally received attention from someone in a year but just as it had been for the past year, that joy was quickly short lived. A loud and sudden wail had erupted from Riley's wardrobe, and her parents had stopped right in their tracks, concern still etched onto their faces but for a completely different person now.

Their heads had immediately snapped away from Riley and towards the closet. They then proceeded to rush forward, pushing the doors open in a hurried craze and charging towards Maya. Almost absentmindedly, Cory had shot a quick remark over his shoulder before he had opened the door to the closet.

"Sorry honey but Maya sounds like she needs us more than you do," Cory had given her daughter a grimace as Riley had furiously rubbed away at her cheeks and eyes, trying to get rid of any evidence that she had been crying. "You're okay on your own, right? Since you're just crying over something small." Topanga muttered offhandedly right before barging into the closet.

Was that what it seemed like? Maya was the one with _real_ problems whilst every problem Riley cried over was insignificant and small?

Hence, Riley could definitely say that those few years of being alone without Auggie or, especially, Maya were the closest she had ever felt to her parents, particularly her mother. It's not that Riley wished Auggie or Maya had never entered her life, it was just a fact that those years with her Mother were the best time she had ever spent with the lawyer.

Sometimes, Riley would recall with a wistful sigh, every day at a certain time, she would be perched on her mother's lap whilst they sat in the bay window, their legs dangling from the ledge as they admired their city's vibrant sky. On the best of days, vibrant pinks, purples, reds, and yellows would be streaked across the usually dull ochre sky, one of the rarest and most beautiful sights to behold.

They would sit there for hours, watching the sunset as they either talked or stayed in a comfortable silence. It wasn't anything extraordinary or big but those were the best moments she spent with her mother, mundane yet beautiful. Those years were simpler and if the younger version of Riley had known what would happen to her in the future, she definitely would not have been as carefree and gullible as she was.

Now, as she sat in the same bay window—just more dusty from being abandoned by its owner—with her parents across from her, the Brunette wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and be held in her parents' arms as they peppered tiny kisses all over her face, tickling her belly as Riley's laughter echoed throughout the apartment, their voices uttering 'I love you' in hushed whispers after they thought their daughter had fallen asleep.

"Riley, would you like to go first?" Topanga asked in her seemingly polite tone, giving an encouraging nod for the teenager to talk. Raising an unimpressed eyebrow, Riley crossed one leg over the other with her hands perched on top of her knees, a discreet way to control the trembling in her legs. "You were the one who wanted to talk, so I don't see why I should be talking first," Riley snapped, pushing down the immediate guilt rising uneasily in her chest.

Pursing her lips, Riley waited patiently for her parent's reply, taking the opportunity to glance around her room that now looked extremely different compared to the last time she had been in it. Despite feeling like the last time she had stepped foot in this room was years ago, she could still sharply remember everything.

The stench of the alcohol that had sloshed onto her carpet, along with the bodies of her schoolmates scattered across her room and two that stood out amongst the others. The memory still burned so vividly in her mind that even when she took the smallest and the quickest of glances at her bed, the intertwined bodies of Lucas and Maya suddenly appeared out of nowhere on her bedsheets.

Trying to force the image of the two out of her head, Riley chewed on her bottom lip anxiously just as her Mother finally spoke up. "What... What I did was..." Topanga stuttered, so unlike her usual confident and arrogant self that Riley's whole face scrunched up whilst she took another look to make sure that it was indeed her Mother sitting in front of her.

"Wrong. I was wrong." She accomplished to choke out, rather painfully, at long last. Ducking her head shamefully, Topanga's long nails dug into the cushioned seat beneath her whilst she squeezed her eyes shut, her smooth brown hair falling out of its carefully tucked position behind her ears and into her face. Her breaths were worryingly loud and rushed, as if her lungs had completely shut down, refusing to work.

She did all her actions in such a familiar manner that Riley didn't take long to know what they reminded her of. Riley knew for a fact that the reason behind why Topanga's current look was bugging her was because she saw that exact same look in the mirror whenever she was about to cry. Topanga was the splitting image of her daughter and Riley didn't know, _couldn't_ tell, what her exact feelings were now.

After she tried to identify her emotions, she only recognised mistrust. No sadness or pity, or even anger towards her Mother. Just mistrust.

Nodding her head encouragingly to urge on her Mother to go on, Riley found herself unwillingly waiting with a bated breath at what the Brunette was about to say next. "I'm... I am so sorry, honey!" She finally managed to spit out a coherent sentence after many failed attempts, stumbling over her words once again. Topanga had lifted her head, allowing Riley to see every emotion flickering through her face.

The feelings that flashed across the lawyer's face was so raw and strong that Riley severely doubted that she was making them up. Topanga's hardened face had lost all of its tension as she brought down all her walls, letting Riley see her true emotions and not faked, acted out ones for the first time in years. Immediately, Topanga shot out of her seat, practically clambering over to where Riley sat before sitting down on the teenager's left.

The Mother wrapped her trembling hands around Riley's ones in a hurried fashion, as if she was in desperate need to make any sort of physical contact with her daughter. Despite the death-like grip on her hands, Riley refused to show any sort of pain or move away from Topanga, wanting to immediately hear what the latter had to say next without any other sudden movements interrupting her.

"I'm sorry for not noticing your pain and how alone you were for the past two years. I'm sorry for always putting Maya before you, my own daughter. I'm sorry for making you feel tiny, insignificant and useless. I'm sorry for constantly trying to _defend_ my actions and myself when you and others stood up to me." The words flowed out of her mouth at such an incredibly fast rate that Riley had to play the words over in her head again to let them sink in.

"Why did you try to defend yourself?" Riley managed to miraculously croak out without a tremble in her voice, trying to maintain her composure and fight against the urge to immediately forgive her Mother. Although her mind was telling her to just circle her arms around Topanga and forgive the woman, her heart told her that the lawyer didn't deserve such a quick and _easy_ forgiveness after everything she did.

The Mother's now softened eyes stared deep into Riley and the latter found herself needing to move her eyes away from Topanga's focused stare as it had made her uneasy. A foreign feeling that could only be described as shivers, ran up and down the teenager's entire body, the lawyer's stare feeling more like she was peering into Riley's very soul.

It was as if Riley was a harp; the moment Topanga gave her that chilling look, it was like the Mother had run her wickedly sharp red fingernails over every single one of Riley's strings, leaving her trembling and shaking with no way to stop. Even when the Brunette craned her neck to the right to stare out of her bay window, she could still feel Topanga's gaze drilling into her.

Looking out the window, Riley tried to distract herself by watching the snowflakes drift down from the black sky above. Although the distant streetlights illuminated the snow like a billion falling stars, which was definitely a sight to behold, the Brunette still found herself utterly focused on her Mother and nothing else. When Topanga started to speak again, it was only then that Riley felt comfortable enough to peel her eyes away from the enchanting sight outside and lay them back on the woman.

"Pride and shame. I let my pride, one of my greatest flaws, control me and my actions. I didn't want to admit that I did those things to... hurt you. Despite knowing that I hadn't been a good Mother to you in a while, some twisted, _dark_ side of me was just constantly denying the truth. This... darkness told me that admitting defeat, admitting that I really did contribute to your suffering, meant that I had been a failure as a Mother and I just couldn't bear it."

"I denied the truth and the facts just to prolong my own selfish needs to not feel guilty. I didn't want to have that overbearing feeling of guilt and I knew that if I _actually_ listened to everyone else's proof of what I had done to you and come to terms with it, it would finally just make it real. It would have meant that I really did damage you, my own daughter, and I just couldn't accept that."

Startled, Riley watched as actual tears began to well up in the middle-aged woman's eyes. Was Topanga Lawrence-Matthews, a feared and respected lawyer, actually about to cry? The tears formed slowly, one drop at a time and soon, Topanga's eyes swam in tears but yet she somehow managed to miraculously not let them fall. However, the lawyer quickly squeezed her eyes just in case, the drops of tears transferring to her lashes instead and now hanging from them.

Seeing how Topanga had nearly cried, which meant that she was definitely honest about every single word she said and will say, Riley had to once again fight against the need to comfort the former. It was an intense battle but in the end, she won. It was usually unlike the teenager to flat-out ask her Mother a question but right now, the Brunette was desperate for answers and she knew, deep down, that she deserved to finally know the truth.

"If that's the case, that it was so difficult for you to not accept what you had done to me, how did you finally manage to acknowledge the truth and decide to apologise?" The words Riley used and the way she phrased them made it seem like she was bitter towards the older woman and that she was feeling petty but Topanga knew that her daughter was just genuinely curious about the answer.

The Mother of two had to resist the urge to give a weak and endearing smile to her daughter as despite all the recent changes in Riley's life, some parts of her that Topanga had always loved, like her curiosity, still remained the same. Returning her focus back to the task at hand, the lawyer decided to trod carefully and wisely take her time to choose her words.

When she had finally decided on them, she took one look at Riley and all her planned-out words seemed to stick in her throat. After trying to get her sentences out, and failing, Topanga realised that she had to speak from the heart right now and let the words just naturally flow out from her mouth. "It took me a while to acknowledge the truth because before you stood up for yourself, I was only hearing others defend you. Hearing the evidence and how you felt coming out from your mouth had more of an impact than hearing it from anybody else."

"It was like I needed to hear it from the very person I had broken and if anyone else tried to talk to me about the matter, their words would just be refused any entrance through my ears. I think hearing it from you made me truly realise that you were genuinely hurt by my actions and my words, and it wasn't some sick, twisted lie made up by someone."

Her words were simple and the lawyer worried if they were, perhaps, _too_ simple for such an important matter. This was the most important case she had ever had because this was her trying to get her Daughter to forgive her, or at the very least re-enter her life again. This wasn't a judge or court to face but her own _Daughter_ , her flesh and blood. Cases that she had originally thought were difficult and nerve-wracking now paled in comparison to this one, and she inwardly wished that she had more time to prepare her words.

While Topanga fussed over every little thing she had said to Riley in her head, the latter found herself slightly understanding what her Mother had and was going through. However, if she told her Mother she forgave her, she would be lying as she knew that she wouldn't truly and fully mean those words. It wouldn't be a genuine, honest forgiveness because Topanga hurt her too much for too long, and her actions couldn't be forgiven in just a few minutes.

Before Riley could contemplate between telling her Mother she forgave her or not, Topanga asked her four words. These four words were simple and if asked under any other circumstances, would be insignificant and easily answered. Unfortunately, this was not under any other circumstances and Riley knew the weight of the question, how essential it was to her, her Mother, and her whole entire family's future. "Do you hate me?"

The words were whispered so softly that even a tiny gust of wind was louder than it. It was strange and so unlike Topanga, who was normally outspoken and opinionated, but Riley wasn't extremely surprised by it. This whole conversation at the bay window had been full of surprises from the lawyer and almost everything she had either said or done had been the complete opposite of how she would generally do it.

"I don't think I could ever hate you, hate is a strong word. You're my Mother and you've been there for me from the very start. Just because you haven't been present in my life for a while, it doesn't mean that I'll forget everything else you have done for me, every other time you were there for me. No one can forget their Mother's love, one of the strongest relationships anyone could ever have." At this Topanga felt a weight being lifted off her chested but Riley unexpectedly continued, placing that weight back onto the former's chest again.

"However, I would say that I resent you. I resent you for constantly picking Maya over me, encouraging her, comforting her, talking to her, picking her as your first choice while you brush me aside, ignore me, insult me, expect me to be _okay_ with it. You watched and even added on as she and my so-called, 'friends', make fun of me for being overly optimistic and wanting to help everyone." Riley answered truthfully, sounding genuine and at the same time emotionless, just like the mask devoid of any expression that had appeared on her face.

Topanga looked down at her carefully polished heels uncomfortably, finally knowing how the criminals that waited for their sentence to be passed felt. She always prided herself on being able to read people's faces and body language extremely well, which was handy when it came to her job, hence she was astounded to find that she couldn't tell what her own Daughter was feeling when she took a peek up from her shoes.

The last that she could remember, Riley was a person who wore her heart on her sleeve. She never had to say how she felt due to her emotions always shining in her eyes, as clear and bright as day. If she was happy, her brown orbs would turn almost gold; if she was sad, they would turn murky, and on the rare occurrences that she was angry, they would turn into a swirling mass of both gold and brown, the gold flashing dangerously and giving her a glint in her eyes.

The lawyer used to be able to tell just by the way Riley walked that she was insecure; her shoulders would be hunched over as if hiding the treasure, her true personality, inside of her. Despite her clumsiness, she was always able to make her footsteps as quiet and timid as possible, not wanting to draw attention to herself. And no one else except Topanga, who had one of the sharpest eyes, was able to catch Riley watch everyone, even her family and friends, through skittish wide eyes.

She knew how serious Riley's insecurity must've been if she was even feeling insecure in front of her loved ones but despite that, she never lifted a finger to help her or talk to her to reassure her. In fact, she did the complete opposite and added fuel to the fire, making Riley feel smaller, almost _worthless_ , next to Maya, which in turn allowed that fire to grow larger and larger until it became an untamable wildfire.

Even though Riley didn't hate her, she still resented her but what was the difference? Either way, it meant that her future and relationship with her Daughter was beyond repair. Nevertheless, the teenager continued on unexpectedly, surprising Topanga once again. "But resentment only lasts for a while, it will end. Hate? It will last until the end of time and I don't think I could do that to anyone, to _you_ , when deep down, I still love you. You can resent someone and still love them but you can't hate someone and still love them."

Riley still _loves_ her?

Hearing that, the determination to not cry and show weakness in front of her Daughter vanished. Her heart brimmed with appreciation for having such a merciful and loving Daughter as she felt her tears on the very edge of her eyes. The moment her iron will had been broken by Riley's wise, heartfelt words, the droplets had gushed from her eyes and she could no longer rear them back or control them.

Riley could handle seeing her Mother on the verge of crying but to see the woman _actually_ shedding tears? Riley could scarcely believe what she was seeing. Eyebrows lifting in surprise, her brown orbs popped wide in amazement as she had to overcome the urge to write down the date and time of when Topanga cried. This was the first time she had ever seen the uptight lawyer shed tears in front of her, so who could blame her?

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" Topanga suddenly choked out in between sobs and forced a rueful smile, remorsefully meeting Riley's eyes. The teenager's ears heard the words but her brain on the other hand just couldn't comprehend or believe it. It was a small statement, something she had constantly heard being addressed to Maya and never her, so to finally hear it, from her Mother no less, was a complete shock.

Lunging out of her seat, Riley flung her arms around Topanga's neck, pulling her into an unexpected hug that just made latter's body shake with even more sobs. Embracing each other fervently, the lawyer peppered kisses all over Riley's face just like she used to do, repeatedly apologising to the younger Matthews between kisses, occasionally informing how proud she was and how much she loved Riley.

Riley's heart gave an exultant leap, her spirits soaring so high that she felt like clapping her hands and squealing with joy like she had done as a toddler. "I can't forgive you right now but I'm sure with effort from both sides, I will in the near future," The Brunette promised, breaking out into her warm infectious grin, directed to Topanga for the first time this whole evening.

Nodding her head, Topanga didn't care that she didn't have her Daughter's forgiveness immediately. She understood how much pain she had inflicted on her so it was understandable and smart of Riley to not instantly forgive Topanga. Proud of the young, smart woman Riley was growing into, the lawyer tenderly smoothed down the girl's hair, swearing to work on repairing her relationship with the teenager and to never take it for granted again.

Suddenly, Riley felt a tap as light as a feather on her shoulder. Peering behind, her Father was at the receiving end of her gaze and from the way he was licking his lips uncomfortably, she could tell that he wanted to talk to her. Topanga had a tight grip around her waist as if she never wanted to let Riley go after almost losing her, so by the time Riley managed to pull away, Cory had retracted his arm away from her.

Cocking her head to the side, Riley waited patiently for Cory to start talking. However, he simply gave her a sincere apologetic look before bowing his head shamefully, reaching into his pant's pocket and retrieving a plain envelope. Passing it over to Riley, his voice trembled uneasily as he simply said, "I'm sorry and I hope you can forgive me..."

Slightly taken aback by how broken and tired Cory sounded, Riley noticed upon further inspection that her Father had deep eye bags set under his downcasted eyes, the wrinkles on his forehead the clearest she had ever seen, making him look older beyond his actual years. He let out a sigh that seemed to have made him gain another five years, his back hunched so badly that he was practically curling into himself.

Reaching out a hand, she gave a lingering touch, wanting nothing more than to forgive her Father immediately, if it meant that the wrinkles etched into his forehead would lessen and the eyebags he had would become lighter. Cory was her Father, her hero, her role model for the longest time and to see him look so tired when he was always energetic and upbeat made her concern.

Feeling her touch and knowing what it meant, Cory lifted his head just enough for him to peer at Riley. Gulping, he patted the Brunette's hand gently, whispering heartbrokenly, "I do not deserve you, Riley." His eyes glassed with tears and the teenager found herself reaching over to wipe them away with one hand with the other holding up Cory's chin, the exact same way he used to do to her whenever she cried.

The action simply caused more tears to well up in the Father's eyes and he shook his head firmly, gingerly grabbing Riley's wrists and moving them away from his face. Persistent to get his point across, he repeated his words again, less wavering and more firm. Refusing to make any eye contact with Riley, he opted to stare directly out the window, just like Riley had done a few minutes ago.

"I'm sorry," He choked out before looking over to Topanga, who gave her Husband a comforting nod, her eyes going uncomfortably soft when she looked at him. Wishing to be left alone, he gave Riley's hand one last squeeze, then proceeding to exit the room and unknowingly leaving behind not just an envelope but a broken-hearted girl.

Settling a hesitant hand onto Riley's shoulders, Topanga peered neither anxiously nor demanding at her child but patient and understanding. The Brunette teen knew that her Mother was trying her best to control herself and not use her words for once but rather, her presence to console her child. She knew how difficult it was for Topanga to keep her mouth shut during times like these, hence she appreciated the small gesture.

"Will you be returning back home?"

Fidgeting nervously in her seat, Riley moved her hands underneath her thighs to sit on them, not wanting to uncontrollably wring her hands, which would've been an obvious giveaway to what she was feeling. However, seeing her movement, Topanga immediately knew what her Daughter's answer was and found herself unexpectedly not surprised.

"You're going to continue staying with your Uncle, I presume?" The lawyer asked again, already knowing the nod of confirmation that she was going to receive. "I know we're on the road of repairing our relationship and I really don't want this to be a stumbling block but I-" Riley's ramble was politely cut off by her Mother while she was mid-sentence, an easy smile on the latter's face and a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"Riley, it's _okay_ , you don't have to explain yourself. As long as your decision makes you happy, I'm okay with it. I know our relationship is still awkward and uneasy, so if staying with your Uncle makes you comfortable, just _stay_ with him." Offering a comforting smile, she drew Riley into another hug, this time less forced and softer.

Pressing her lips to Riley's forehead for a lingering kiss, Topanga was reminded of the boy who had done a similar action earlier. "So, this Logan boy, he makes you happy?" The lawyer couldn't help ask, lifting an inquisitive eyebrow with a cheeky glint in her eyes that Riley had never seen on her Mother before. "He makes me _very_ happy," Riley couldn't help shooting back the moment she processed the question in her head, a bit defensive.

Slightly embarrassed by how quick she answered Topanga, a rosy pink tainted her cheeks, no matter how much she tried to fight it down. Laughing at her Daughter's antics, Topanga placed a hand on the teenager's thigh, her heart warming with happiness at the shy smile on the girl's face. "Tell me more about him." She urged, genuinely wanting to get to know the boy who had stayed by Riley's side throughout her troubling times and defended her no matter what.

And as she watched Riley's eyes brighten up immediately at the mention of this boy's name, accompanied by the infectiously warm grin that had just the right touch of shyness that had spread across her face, Topanga knew that he was an important part of her Daughter's life now. As she began recounting the time she met Logan, her whole body had visibly brightened, the happiest Topanga had seen her for almost a year.

'Musing silently, Topanga thought of how Logan must've made Riley extremely happy if it meant that just mentioning his name would cause this kind of reaction from her. Mentally jotting down a note to remember to apologise and thank the boy, she pushed her thoughts to one side, giving her undivided attention to Riley. Listening to her Daughter animatedly talk about Logan, she couldn't help but notice how tender and affectionate her voice became whenever she said his name.

It was the exact same way she and Cory, Alan and Amy, and so many others in the world who loved one another said each other's names.

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 **Naya**

Hahaha, I'm sorry for the cliffhanger! :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter though, and thank you for reviewing! :D

 **Guest**

I don't know, you'll just have to read on to find out! ;)

 **tinkermist99**

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 **Guest AB**

Shawn's redemption will be after the Winter formal. And for what happens next, you'll just have to read on! ;)

 **RucasLover21**

Hey! Of course I remember you, how could I not? You've reviewed almost all my chapters and have always been so encouraging and nice. :) I'm doing fine, thank you for asking! :D I've recently been selected by my English teacher for a writing program and I've been working on my portfolio. Hopefully I'll get into the program so I can improve my writing and make y'all even happier with my chapters! I'm really sorry your life hasn't been that great and I really want to help, so if you need anything, just ask.

I've actually been thinking about starting the Shadowhunters TV series. I've seen some Malec clips, which were so cute, and I'm currently finished with the third book and trying to find the fourth, fifth, and six books but the bookstores I've visited have all ran out of stock. :( I've never watched the movie, is it any good? I've also watched some clips of Riverdale but I've never actually watched an episode. There have been many positive and negative feedback from my friends about the show, so I'm unsure if I want to watch it. Oh! I've been meaning to watch Stranger Things as well, and although I haven't watched any episodes yet, I can already say that Steve Harrington is one of my favourite characters. I'm just a sucker for characters that have more depth than what they seem like originally.

Haha, it's perfectly fine to be 'emo'. People think if you listen to alternative bands, that means you're 'emo' and wear eyeliner, sulk around, talk about death, etc. but that's not true. Yes! What are your favourite songs from tøp, p!atd, and Melanie martinez? (Also, did you hear about Melanie and the whole rape issue? I love her and her music but if she really did that to her friend, that's disgusting.) I've only listened to one or two songs from Paramore, Fall out Boy, and My Chemical Romance but I've been meaning to listen to more. Sabrina sounded great when she sang with The Vamps for the song 'Hands' and 'Why' but I had mixed feelings towards the music video for the latter song. Casey Cott (!) and her were cute together but the age gap kind of bugs me. Besides that, they were definitely cute. Haha, yes, I still update, just less regularly and with longer chapters. I've just been overseas and haven't found time to work on the fic. Thank you for this review and I hope you feel better now! :D

 **Guest**

Haha, thanks! :D This was such a cute review. :)

 **Guest**

Thank you! :)

 **HJolly**

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 **Guest**

Aww, thank you so much! :D Yes! I agree. I was just so sick of how taken for granted Riley was and how she was always being constantly pushed aside and looked down upon, hence I decided to write this. I mean, I love the show and all but what they made Riley go through was just brushed aside and never focused on? I love Maya but majority of the time, she was put into the spotlight, so it seemed more like Girl's Best Friend Meet World than Girl Meets World to me. I'm so sorry for ranting and thank you for this review! :)

 **Carlyn858**

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 **Sanchezashley**

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 **Guest**

Thank you so much! :D This was such a sweet review and I'm so blessed to receive such a comment from someone so incredibly nice. This really encouraged me, so thank you! :) I'm so happy to know that you like Rogan, it's so heartwarming to see so many people ship your OC and a character that you love. I truly hope so too. Fingers crossed that y'all vote for them over Rucas when the poll opens up.

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) I know it seems too late for them and many people will disagree on my decision for this chapter to repair their relationship but I really think that a parents' relationship with their child is one of, or maybe even the best relationship out of every other one. Although Cory and Topanga's actions have been inexcusable, they are Riley's parents. They were there for her before Logan, Kitty, all the new good people in Riley's life and they have a bond with her because she's their daughter. I'm not saying their actions should be forgotten but I think they should be forgiven. Everyone makes mistakes, and this was one of Cory and Topanga's biggest ones but they should still be forgiven. Hopefully you can see where I'm coming from and accept the choices I've made in this chapter. If not, it's completely understandable.

However, Lucas and Maya is a whole new topic. I personally feel that Lucas and Maya could be forgiven but definitely not entirely. Their relationship with Riley will never be the same, and I think between the two of them, Maya is the larger lost cause. I mean, Lucas is Riley's friend and potential love interest but Maya is supposed to be her best friend. They're supposed to be so close that they're practically siblings, practically family and family doesn't hurt each other like that.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I think Cory and Topanga can be 100% forgiven; Lucas can be 50% forgiven but Maya probably has like a 20% chance of being forgiven. Sorry for ranting! Anyway, I loved repairing Farkle and Riley's friendship. In the show, I thought their friendship was much healthier compared to Maya and Riley's. They're both always supportive of each other (Riley was completely supportive for Seasons 2 and 3, Season 1 is a whole different story), have a healthy amount of space, love each other, want what's the best for each other, understand each other and help one another. Yeah, I want to mention in a later chapter that her room in the Matthews' household is her old room but Josh's dorm is her (new) room. Thank you so much! :D And if I sounded rude/mean, I didn't mean to and I apologise in advance.

 **PixieDreamer21**

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 **madhattervirgo23**

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 **Fangirlingweirdo**

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 **LM808**

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 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Hope y'all enjoyed my Christmas present to y'all and once again, thank y'all so much for the love and support! Please favourite, follow and review. Also, please remember to check out the poll set up on my account to vote for Wade's sexuality+potential love interest. Hopefully I'll be able to update before 2018 as a New Years' gift for y'all. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	22. Chapter 22

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm extremely sorry for this 4 months late chapter. My second year in Secondary School has been hectic and I've joined a number of charities and organisations, which doesn't leave me a lot of time to write as I'm busy designing their merchandise and helping out at the different charity booths. I have written two chapters (including this one), so the next chapter will be uploaded in a day or two just to give some break between.**

 **Unfortunately, I will not be able to update for the next few weeks again. Before you start pelting me, I can't update because I have my mid-year examinations and I have to study as they're a large percentage of my overall grade. My studies are extremely important this year as they'll determine what I'll be taking for my major exams, O Levels so please be patient with me!**

 **Besides that, thank you for all the love and support! Please remember to vote for the poll on Wade's sexuality, which I will be closing before the next chapter update. Without further ado, here is the extremely late Chapter 22 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

Surveying the room around her, the slight tension in Riley's shoulders loosened when she heard the click of the door closing and the distant sound of her mother's high heels clicking against the polished floor fading over each passing second. Barely a minute later, the sound of knuckles rapping against the wooden frame sounded and with a tired sigh, the brunette answered the knock with the words 'come in', caution creeping into her tone.

However, the instant her eyes landed upon the dark-haired boy standing against the doorframe with a crooked grin on his face, light flooded back into her brown orbs as she visibly brightened, her back straightening and an infectious smile spreading across her face.

"Nice room," Logan hummed in approval, his eyes flickering over to the heavily patterned throw pillows crowding the bed, along with the bulletin board hanging just beside it, cluttered with schedules and pictures, where the beaming faces of Riley's old friends stared back at him. Moving towards the board, he noticed in awe at how artistically and beautifully the pictures had been taken.

Although his protectiveness over Riley made him partially feel like ripping the pictures of the backstabbers into shreds, the majority of him was afraid to even touch the pictures. He felt as if touching the pictures would ruin them and he couldn't bear the thought of something so beautiful being tainted by his angry, dirty fingers.

As much as he hated Maya and Lucas, he had to admit that they looked good in the photos. All of the people depicted in the photographs were unaware that their photos were being taken, which just made their expressions and who they were as a person more real. The angles that they had been taken at were flattering, especially the two blondes Logan had previously mentioned.

In one picture, arguably the best one, the sun peeked out from behind Maya's head as a soft smile was plastered across her face, making her gold and beautiful. If Logan hadn't known better, he would've thought that the blonde's personality was exactly the same as how she had been pictured in the photograph. However, the boy did know better and knew that she was the complete opposite of how she looked.

"Did you take these?" Logan asked after appreciating the masterpieces pinned up on the bulletin board for a while longer. Turning towards Riley, an adoring smile made its way across his face when he saw her head humbly bowed, along with her relentlessly squirming. The brunette managed to squeak out a 'yes', looking absolutely adorable with her flushed cheeks and popped dimples.

Making his way towards Riley, he sat next to her before reaching out to graze his fingers against her chin and nudging it upwards so that her eyes met his. "Hey," He softly whispered, eyes twinkling while he took in how she nervously chewed down on her lip to hide her rising smile, which didn't help at all considering the fact that the dimples at the corners of her mouth gave her true emotions away.

"You're talented, Queen. Your friends and family may have made you feel talentless before but you're not. You can box, run, sing, design, bake, take photographs and more importantly, you make everyone feel special and important. When you look at them, they feel like no one else around them matters and there's just you and them in the whole world," Giving the girl a smile that showed how genuine his words were, Logan squeezed her hands that had interlaced with his, making Riley bashfully tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Your personality is your greatest talent, Riley. I have never met anyone as positive, kind, selfless, committed and resilient as you. In fact, no one comes close," He continued, his gaze on Riley never wavering since the very beginning. "You deserve the sun — no — the entire galaxy. You're a queen, Queen," The boy cracked a smile at his lame joke before finishing solemnly, "And it's time everyone started treating you like one,"

Riley's breath hitched in her throat when Logan ran his fingers over her cheek idly, and it wasn't because of the cold weather that sent a shiver running down the brunette's spine. He was looking at her so intently, his mesmerising eyes boring into Riley's very soul as if he could see past all her insecurities and walls for who she really was, which wouldn't be a surprise to the girl at all.

Up close to Logan, she took this chance to take in all his features and tiny details again. No matter how many times she peered at his eyes up close, she could never get sick of them; they were a slow swirl of blues and greens, and everchanging. "Come on, let's get out of here," The bad boy murmured, gently leading Riley to stand up alongside him, and with their hands still clasped together, they left the bedroom, Riley's past, together.

Stepping into the living room, she began to bid everyone farewell at the dinner, trying to blink back the tears when she saw how her father refused to look in her direction. She was planning to leave the house in a haste, not wanting to see the flicker of disappointment and sadness in her mother's eyes at the aspect of her not staying.

However, she hadn't expected Auggie to block her way to the door, his arms stretched wide open at his sides dramatically and his feet planted firmly on the ground. "You said you wouldn't leave. You promised," The youngest Matthews pleaded with a wavering voice, sounding like he was on the verge of bawling his eyes out.

With his bottom lip jutting out and quivering, Riley's heart clenched and she wanted nothing more than to beat her own self up for causing this much pain to appear on her little brother's face. Instead, she squatted down so that she was at eye level with him and scooped him up into her arms, giving him a tight squeeze as she felt his chin rest comfortably on her shoulder.

"I'll visit you, Auggie. Whenever you want me to, just give me or Uncle Josh a call, okay?" She whispered, chewing on her bottom lip nervously whilst she waited for his response. Feeling him nod his head, she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding but her time of relief had been broken soon after when the boy asked another question.

"But why can't you just... Stay here? With me?" Auggie added hopefully, pulling away from Riley and allowing her to see his wide brown eyes earnestly looking at her while he twiddled his thumbs carefully. "I want to, Auggie. I really do but I'm not on very good terms with Mummy and Daddy now." Riley answered honestly with just the right amount of vagueness to not be called out by her brother.

Scrunching up his face, Auggie seemed to ponder over Riley's words, and finally, nodded his head enthusiastically, giving his older sister a bright smile that could compete with the sun. Shooting his arm out, the boy wiggled his pinkie in Riley's face before the latter hooked her own finger around his, silently swearing in her mind to never take this ray of sunshine for granted again.

"Can Logan come too?" The boy had exclaimed more than asked, his eyes lighting up at the mention of the boy's name. Feeling her heart fill with adoration for the two boys in her life — for Logan, who made the effort to talk and get to know Auggie better, and Auggie, who was just constantly bubbling with energy and innocence — Riley let out a small giggle and gave a nod of acknowledgement.

Letting out a gasp of joy, the young boy bounced on his heels excitedly, tackling Riley onto the floor. Sprawled out across his sister, Auggie began to giggle and was soon accompanied by Riley, who looked adoringly over at her brother. "I like Logan. He's nicer than Lucas and Maya," Auggie stated lightly, getting up from his position on the floor with a grin.

Feeling a pang shoot through her heart, Riley recounted all the times Maya had treated Auggie harshly whilst she stood at the side, never defending her brother and sometimes, even taking Maya's side. Guilt clenched her chest as she remembered the downcast look that always appeared on Auggie's face during these instances, accompanied by a twinge of betrayal and insecurity.

Riley hated being insecure and she wished that no one would have to go through it like she did but what had she been doing to Auggie for all these years? She continuously took Maya's side, chose Maya over Auggie, ignored Auggie for Maya, and all that would no doubt lead up to the first seed of insecurity being planted in the young boy and it was all Riley's fault.

She wished she could turn back the clock more than ever; to tell her younger self to never take her brother for granted and to love and cherish him, because when she thought she was alone, he was there. He was there when Maya was and he was still there when she wasn't.

However, she couldn't go back in time but she sure could make choices now that will change the course of the future.

"I love you Auggie, more than anyone in the universe. Never think that I love anyone more than you," The brunette whispered firmly, her eyes never wavering from Auggie's stare. She noticed the gratefulness flooding his eyes before getting accompanied by a spark of humour. "How about Logan?" The boy abruptly wondered, tilting his head to the side and reminding Riley of a curious puppy.

Taking his sister's furrowed eyebrows as confusion, Auggie gave an overdramatic sigh, shaking his head whilst he elaborated further. "How about Logan? Do you love him more than me?" Taken aback by the question she had been asked, Riley didn't have time to get her feelings and thoughts composed, resulting in a tinge of pink painting her cheeks. Auggie, the little joker that he was, simply smirked in response and Riley resisted the urge to smack his arm in disapproval.

"I wouldn't mind you know. If you loved Logan more than me, that is. I love Ava more than you and Daddy loves Mummy more than Uncle Eric. Mrs Swarovski once told me that there's going to be someone out there that each person will love more than anything and anyone, including their family. I think Logan is that someone for you,"

Humming contently, Auggie tried to look as innocent as possible even though he knew the words he had just spoken were the complete opposite. The blush that had finally been fading away from Riley's cheeks suddenly grew even darker than before, the red blush a stark contrast against Riley's olive skin, giving her absolutely no way to hide it.

With a cheeky grin on his face, Auggie scurried away from Riley as she lunged towards him, already knowing that she was planning to tickle him as revenge. Moving behind Logan, who had been making his way towards Riley at that moment, the teenage boy twisted his upper body to peer at the small boy giggling behind him before shaking his head, an amused smile on his face.

Suddenly, Auggie's laughter was cut off and a solemn tone overtook his playful one, the bright smile on his face dropping into a thin line. "Remember what I said, Logan?" Noticing the way Auggie was staring at the raven-haired boy, full of unwavering concentration instead of the childlike wonder that had shone in his eyes moments ago, Riley was extremely curious to find out what her brother had said previously that was so important.

Content with the firm nod he received from the older boy, Auggie broke out into his usual grin again, the tension so quickly removed from his face that no one would've known he had been frowning earlier unless they had seen it. Before Riley could question the two boys, she was interrupted by her uncle's rather loud bidding of farewell.

"We're going off now!" Josh hollered, approaching the pair of younger teenagers, a mix of simmering anger and relief laced in his voice. However, the slight frown on his face disappeared the moment Wendy approached him and turned into a grin when she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a calming smile. Offering the girl a nod of gratitude, Josh turned back to the other guests.

He gave a tight hug to his parents, having a serious yet short conversation with them while their eyes kept flickering towards Riley and her parents the whole time. The concerned glances shot her way made Riley fidget uncomfortably, the insecure part of her mind insisting that they were complaining about her. Hushed complaints echoed in her head, the harsh words continuing to echo in her head even when Josh shot a genuine smile at her.

"-such a burden."

"-wasn't for her, our family would be intact-"

"-ruined everything."

Drawing in a large portion of her inner cheek with her teeth, Riley clamped down forcefully on the flesh, something wet seeping through the tiny gaps between her white pearls. The familiar bitter taste of blood filled her mouth and she resisted the urge to gag, knowing that it would attract the attention of Logan. She just couldn't deal with any more pitying looks being shot her way tonight. She just couldn't.

As Josh took a step away from his parents, a visible sign that they were done with their conversation, Riley approached her grandparents, bidding them a farewell quickly, accompanied with hugs and kisses on cheeks all around. She nodded her head absentmindedly when they made her promise to call them if she needed anything, too occupied with the pleading looks her mother was sending her way.

Nodding her head in thanks as her grandparents passed her a bag with their Christmas gifts to her inside, Riley moved towards her mother, plastering a slightly fake smile on her face. "Merry Christmas, Riley," Topanga whispered shakily, handing over a neatly wrapped present to her daughter. Slightly surprised at the fact that Topanga actually got her a gift this year, the teenager cautiously drew her mother in for a hug, burying her head in the crook of the lawyer's neck as she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

"I love you, Riley," Topanga pulled away from the teenager, an arm still clasped tightly around Riley's waist whilst the other moved upwards to cup the girl's cheek. "And I love you to Pluto and back, Mum," Riley responded, the words being so familiar, after having been exchanged between the two ever since Riley was born, yet brand new as it represented the start of something stronger and more special between the mother and daughter.

Hearing her daughter call her 'Mum' after pointedly referring to her as anything but that, Topanga choked back a sob and simply pressed her lips to Riley's forehead, thanking God for giving her such a forgiving and loving daughter. The lawyer reluctantly detached herself from the younger female, giving the latter one last wobbly smile before letting her move to the next person to say goodbye to.

After politely saying farewell to Mr and Mrs Minkus, making a point to apologise vaguely about everything that had happened over the course of the night, Riley reached Smackle, a bright grin overtaking her features. "Smackle!" She greeted enthusiastically, perking up instantly when the genius returned an almost equally enthusiastic greeting. "Thanks for the gift and hiding it in the dorm room. It was really fun to have to find your gift, kind of like hide and seek,"

The glasses-clad girl gave an easy shrug, her eyes that sparkled with gratefulness betraying the robotic exterior her nonchalant voice gave off. "It was no problem, Riley. I hope you enjoyed the Astronomy book, particularly the segment adamant on Pluto being a planet," Replying with a vigorous nod, the Brunette gave another brilliant white smile, making Smackle be suddenly reminded of the sun.

"I hope you liked your gifts too! The moment I saw that Stephen Hawking book, I knew I had to get it for you. As for that photo of you and Farkle..." Riley trailed off, ducking her head shamefully as she wrung her hands, her voice softening into barely a whisper. "I'm sorry I took the photograph without your's and Farkle's permission. I just thought that if you guys had known a photo of you was being taken, you might not have looked at one another with as much passion,"

Smiling understandably, Smackle hesitantly moved forward, pulling the taller girl into a slightly awkward but nonetheless, still heartfelt hug. "You're getting better at this," Riley giggled into the black-haired girl's sweater, her tiny muffled statement making the corners of Smackle's mouth quirk upwards. "Thank you. However, I have to say, tall, dark and handsome over there has a higher chance of being more compatible than me if you ever need a hug,"

A rosy pink immediately flooded Riley's cheeks, the tall teenager looking over her shoulder bashfully to meet Logan's eyes, which had been staring at her from across the room. "Yeah, I guess so," She whispered dreamily, reluctantly peeling her eyes away from the boy who had just shot her one of his lopsided smirks. Raising her eyebrows, Smackle looked over to Farkle, a knowing smile fixated on her face.

Turning towards the boy who had just come out of the toilet and positioned himself next to Smackle, Riley's eyes visibly brightened as she flung her arms around Farkle's neck, pulling the other gangly teen into a tight hug. "Thank you for what you did tonight, Farkle," The brunette muttered, the sheer gratitude seeping through her words and making even the densest person on Earth know that she meant what she said.

Detaching himself from the hug, Farkle pulled out a box from his coat pocket, dropping it into Riley's bag whilst the girl did the exact same to him. Accepting each other's presents with a smile and a simple word of thanks, Farkle responded to Riley's previous statement smoothly, "You're welcome. Let's start working on forgiving ourselves together, okay?"

Giving a firm nod, Riley gave a sudden jolt when Farkle wrapped his slim fingers around her arm and squeezed it lightly. Thinking that he just caught Riley by surprise, Farkle shrugged off her reaction and let his face fall into a serious look. "Can I just ask you something?" He questioned, eyebrows meet each other in the middle as he frowned.

Lifting a brow, Riley waited in anticipation for Farkle to continue but just as the latter opened his mouth, Josh appeared out of nowhere, settling his hand on his niece's shoulder. "We should get going, Riley. We don't want to impose on... Your parents," Josh stated firmly and too loudly, forcing himself to choke out the last two words of his sentence. It was an overexaggerated way of showing his spite towards Topanga and Cory, who definitely heard the distaste in his voice, and although Riley appreciated him looking out for her, she found it a tad bit childish.

Looking over at her Uncle disapprovingly, the college student at least had the decency to blush apologetically whilst giving a persistent tug on Riley's shoulder. "Seriously though, we have to go," Sighing, Riley peered over her shoulder to mouth a 'sorry' to Farkle and managed to give him a quick wave before being dragged away by Josh. "I'll text you later," Farkle waved back, gesturing towards the phone sticking out of Riley's pocket.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Riley chorused alongside Josh, Wendy and a very reluctant Logan. "And Happy Hanukkah!" Riley added, peering over at the Minkus family and Smackle with a sunny smile. The four nodded appreciatively, grateful for Riley being the only one consciously aware of their religion and making an effort to make them feel welcome.

Leaving the house, Riley felt a huge weight being lifted off her chest, the fear that had accompanied her when she first entered the house this evening now gone and replaced with contentment and a twinge of sadness. Although her father refused to look at her throughout the whole dinner and no progression was made in their relationship, at least she was on the journey to mending and improving her relationships with her mother and her brother respectively.

* * *

 **Raabe**

-Replied through Private Message-

 **Katie Rollings**

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 **Guest**

I don't know. You'll have to wait to find out ;)

 **Guest**  
Thank you and sorry for the late update!

 **ChordOverstreetFan** **ads3471**

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 **Nicolette Young**

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 **Selina Lillian Alvi**

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 **tomfeltonlover1991**

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 **Guest AB**

I agree, Maya and Lucas shouldn't be forgiven so easily but they can be forgiven. Shawn could realise his mistakes and understand what a bad Uncle he has been to Riley and how small he made her feel and feel guilty. Thank you for reviewing and I'm sorry for the delayed update!

 **LM808**

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 **volleyballer82**

Thank you! :D It's really nice to know that I was able to convey Riley's emotions to the person reading it and this review just really made me feel better about my writing since I wasn't feeling too good about my writing abilities recently. So far, haha, yeah, it seems more Rogan but I'll be adding some Rucas in later chapters. Honestly though, I love Rogan more than Rucas because the more I write this story, the more I want Riley to have a healthy relationship with people, including her romantic relationship. Thank you for reviewing and I'm so sorry for the extremely late chapter!

 **Guest**

Same here! What's in the letter will be revealed in the next chapter or the one after that. ;) I was actually considering whether Riley should lock her Bay window but I don't think she'd do something like that. Maya was a contributing factor that shaped her into who she is and although she did hurt her, the Bay window still has a lot of good, fond memories to Riley and I don't think she would close it forever. Haha, to be honest I'm shipping Rogan more than Rucas but I'll still be adding in some Rucas in later chapters. Regarding the question as to where he is, that shall remain a mystery until Winter formal. Thank you for reviewing and I'm so sorry for making you wait for a new chapter!

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Hope y'all enjoyed this slightly boring chapter and once again, thank you so much for the love, support and most importantly recently, patience! Please favourite, follow and review. Also, please remember to check out the poll set up on my account and look out for the next chapter, which will be coming up in a day or two. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	23. Chapter 23

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! I'm back, with a new chapter as I promised. I know, I said it'll be updated in three or two days but just my luck, my WiFi went down for the past few days, sorry. Anyway, I'm here! Thank you for the love and patience, and without further ado, here is Chapter 23 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

Entering Josh's car with Logan at her heel, the two slid into the backseat as Josh started the engine, his car pulling out of the curb and swiftly making its way down the street. Staring out the window, Riley watched mindlessly as the buildings flashed past her in a blur, the lights and falling snow all blending together to form continuous streaks of lines. She could hear Josh and Wendy talking but it was faded, tuned out from her ears since her thoughts were too loud for anything else to play in her head.

When she felt a pressure settling across her hand, she looked over to her right hand that had been splayed out across the middle seat and found a familiar calloused hand gingerly brushing against hers. "Sorry, what did you say?" The brunette asked politely, pink dusting across her face as she only caught the end of a sentence Logan had been saying.

Rolling his eyes fondly, Logan teased her for having her head in the clouds before repeating his previous statement, "I asked if you were okay with the idea of going to Central Park now," Looking out the window, Riley took note of the dark sky and proceeded to check her watch, the hands pointing to 9 o'clock instead of the 12 she had been expecting. The dinner had only lasted for three hours but to Riley, it had felt like an entire day due to all the events that had occured in those short few hours.

Recalling all the times Logan and she had ventured to Central Park to just lay under their special tree where she had spilt her entire heart out to the boy, Riley gave an almost too eager nod of her head, finding her enthusiasm embarrassing until the other teenager gave her the most endearing smile she had ever seen anyone give her.

Politely requesting Josh for permission to drop them off at the Park, which was along the way, the older boy gave Riley and Logan a half-hearted lecture, his eyes that twinkled with cheekiness betraying the stern tone laced in his voice, giving away his true feelings towards the matter.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Josh reprimanded from the driver's seat, his hand stretching across to hold onto the side of Wendy's seat, which seemed like a more intimate gesture than it sounded. "Does that mean we shouldn't get a life?" Logan shot back teasingly, him and Riley roaring with laughter at the offended look that flashed across Josh's face.

"Kids nowadays have no idea how to respect their elders," Josh chastsised, shaking his head disapprovingly and mocking a look of hurt when Wendy chirped up, agreeing with Logan's statement about the other college student. "Is everyone against me?" Josh grumbled, the other three cackling with laughter at the overexaggerated look of betrayal on the older Matthews's face.

The last thing Riley managed to catch before getting dropped off at Central Park was the childish pout on Josh's face being wiped off when Wendy leaned over from her seat, brushing her boldly coloured lips over her uncle's cheek. A smile, unlike any other, had appeared on her uncle's face, so bright and fond that she had to look away, feeling guilty for intruding on what seemed like a personal moment between the two college students.

Shutting the car door, the two high school students waved as the vehicle drove into the distance, slowly becoming a black speck that camouflaged against the dark night sky. Shoving her hands into her thin coat pockets, Riley strolled alongside Logan, venturing into Central Park and absentmindedly watching the people lounging around the area, content looks plastered across all their faces.

The two teenagers walked in comfortable silence, something foreign to Riley as she had never been able to stand absolute quiet amongst people, finding it far too awkward and weird if there was no conversation being exchanged. However, with Logan, it was different. It was peaceful, almost calming, to just be in the easy company of the boy and not needing to force out words to fill the air of silence.

After a short while, with the occasional arms brushes and quick smiles sent at one another, they finally arrived at their tree, the spot empty as usual. What _was_ unusual were the strings of fairy lights wrapped around the bark, the tiny yellow bulbs contrasting against the dark brown of the trunk and making the tree look more magical than it ever had.

"Merry Christmas, Riley," Logan's voice broke the air of silence, his hand finding it's way to Riley's as the brunette peeled her eyes away from the enchanting sight in front of her, looking towards the boy instead. His pinkie hooked around hers before the rest of his fingers followed, sliding into her hand and clasping onto it lightly.

Disbelieving yet joyous brown-gold eyes raked over Logan's face, the soft lighting from the fairy lights making the 'bad boy' look so much younger, almost _vulnerable_ , as the sharp edges and corners of his face turned soft. Although Riley hated how Logan always had to put up this dangerous-looking facade in front of everyone, she had to admit that she secretly loved how he became his true self around her, letting the visible walls built around him down and his hardened eyes melting into earnest, soft orbs of green-blue.

It made her feel special like she actually meant something to someone for once, and it reassured her that he wasn't hanging out with her out of the pure sense of pity or as a horrible prank, which she had to admit had come across her mind a few times.

Blushing under the lopsided smile he sent her way, Riley looked up from beneath her thick lashes that fanned across her face and sent shadows across her cheeks each time she blinked. "Did you do this?" She breathed out into the cold night air, a cloud drifting out from her mouth as Logan nodded in response, the usually confident teen suddenly becoming extremely bashful.

The unfamiliar sight of a red glow creeping up Logan's cheeks and his eyes no longer steadily focused threw Riley off but it definitely was not an unappreciated look on him. Peering up from his well-worn shoes, Logan was met with a literal faceful of Riley. The lights attached around the tree reflected onto her eyes, creating tiny splatters of golf amidst the warm brown.

Staring into her eyes, all the stiffness in Logan's posture dissolved into the air, the tightness melting into a more relaxed stance. The pounding nervousness in his heart came to an almost silent thrumming instead, faint and consistent, no longer beating at an irregular pace. "I did this to ask if you — why is this so hard? I wanted to ask, would you like to go to the Winter Formal with me?"

The moment Logan noticed that all the blood from Riley's face had disappeared and the troubling, sympathetic look in her eyes, his anxiety spiked up again, his heart returning back to the previously irregular beating pattern as it filled his ears and his head until all that was left in him was the persistent pounding.

He could see her mouth moving, forming the words 'I'm sorry', which easily translated into a 'no' for Logan. At that moment, he couldn't hear a single thing she said, the sound in his ears becoming so loud that he couldn't tell his thoughts apart from what he heard.

"-sorry, I really am. I just, can't go with you," Riley finished, the raven-haired boy finally managing to catch the end of her apology when the stomping sound in his ears suddenly ceased. Embarrassment flooded him, red tainting his cheeks and despite knowing how small this matter was compared to the other obstacles he had faced in his life, he couldn't help but let another piece of his already shattered heart fall to the ground, breaking into tinier shards.

He was so _stupid_. Where had he even gotten the idea that he may be good enough for Riley Matthews?

He was notorious for lashing out, brooding silently in classrooms and picking fights with anyone and everyone. His sharp tongue had always gotten him into trouble and he didn't have enough fingers to count how many times he had landed up in detention for breaking the rules. He knew that Riley thought he was this mistakenly assumed 'bad boy' and was actually a perfectly nice boy under his leather jacket but as much as he wished it to be, it wasn't true.

She wasn't there when he had knocked the teeth out of this sickening football player picking on a smaller student. She wasn't there when he got a scolding from his mother for illegally chugging down an entire bottle of beer to just _try_ and block out the screams of pain and disappointment always playing in his head.

She wasn't there when he swung an empty glass of wine at a black haired head, watching without a single bit of guilt as the body crumpled to the ground and blood seeped out of the mess of hair, staining the white carpet below crimson.

And here was Riley, something good and just so _pure_ and he couldn't believe how he could've ever thought he was good enough for her and how close he had been to tainting her.

"Riley," He finally managed to squeeze out of his throat, relieved that his voice sounded perfectly stable, other than the slight waver halfway through the word. "It's fine. No means no and I'm not going to force you to do something against your own will."

Although his first statement was definitely a lie, Logan genuinely meant everything else he said. "I need you to know that I really, _really_ do want to go with you but I just-" Riley tilted her head back, staring at the sky with closed eyes, thinking of a way to phrase her words in a proper manner.

The dark haired boy knew this wasn't the right time but he found himself helplessly admiring the brunette standing in front of him — her wavy hair tumbling off her shoulders and down her back, her jawline sharp unlike the softness in her eyes, and the way she looked just as beautiful during the night as she did in the morning. He really was smitten with her and it worried him how hard he was falling for her.

"I'm scared that I'll get hurt again. I don't know, it's stupid, I just feel terrified of getting my heart broken a second time after the whole triangle thing," She confessed, finally looking away from the moon above to peer anxiously into Logan's eyes. Hearing the reason behind why Riley had rejected him, the ringing in Logan's ears tuned down into a faint humming sound. She said no not because she hated him or thought he wasn't worth it and that was a huge relief to the teenage boy.

Realising that Riley was still gripping onto his hand, the boy rubbed his thumb over hers, the action comforting the brunette immensely, which was obvious from the tiny smile on her face. "It's not stupid, it's natural to feel that way after you give all your love, time and attention to someone, hoping for them to love you back and be proud of you, but ultimately, they aren't,"

"It's okay to feel scared to trust your heart to someone again but don't let fear stop you from loving," Logan reassured, unknowing of how his words were more meaningful to Riley than he thought it was. He tried to convince himself what he was saying was true and he should take his own words into consideration but the thought simply floated in his brain before dissolving.

On the other hand, the girl gave a harsh snap at her brain to shut up with its continuous thoughts of 'don't do it' and 'you're going to get hurt again' and managed a real smile on her face, the adorably nervous kind that sent Logan's heart soaring. "Then yes," She declared, throwing her arms around the boy's neck as he instinctively brought up his arms, clinching around her waist as to catch her in the air. "I'd really like to go to the Winter Formal with you,"

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Riley let her ecstasy out as she released her trademark loud 'yay', oblivious to the smitten look that came across Logan's face when she threw her hands into the air. Muttering a tiny sorry, the brunette pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, relieved when Logan chuckled instead of judging her like she had expected.

Suddenly, the lights twinkling in the background were no longer the brightest thing shining in the dark. At that moment, the brightest smile Riley has ever seen on anyone's face appeared on Logan and she took this time to capture the image in her head and wishing she had her camera with her.

In the spur of the moment and how taken she was by Logan's precious smile, Riley leaned in, planning to give a simple peck on his cheek but her aim must have been a bit skewed after such a long day as a decent area of her lip came into contact with the side of Logan's mouth.

She was quick to move away but judging by the shocked expression on Logan's face, he had felt Riley's lips at the corner of his. Quite suddenly, the faintest of smiles quirked across his face and Riley's previous thoughts of Logan's bright smile being her favourite sight in the world was forgotten.

This tiny smile was the first she had seen on Logan. It was accompanied by the rare sight of a blushed face, where he didn't even bother to try and cover up for once, and all the lines of tension etched onto his face had vanished into thin air. Puffing out his chest slightly and straightening his back, he looked so pleased with the action that Riley had done that the girl itched to do it again just to see that smile.

If Logan had noticed Riley's nervousness at what his response would be towards her action, he didn't show it. He calmly tugged Riley after him as he slowly lowered himself down onto the grass, the girl following suit with a red face and a wildly beating heart. Pushing aside the thought of her lips on Logan's, the brunette excitedly began planning their prom, a sweet closure to the end of her hectic day.

However, she couldn't deny that most of her happiness was due to the lingering feeling of Logan's lips on hers and how _close_ she had been to kissing him fully.

* * *

 **Guest AB**

Updated. Thank you for the review and your patience!

 **tinkermist99**

Updated. Hope you enjoy!

 **Grace**

Same here! Hmm, I wonder too. I'm glad you ship Rogan! Yeah, Auggie and Riley are just such a cute sibling pair, I had to fix their relationship together. Thank you!

 **Aaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Please favourite, follow, review and check out the poll on my page. The poll will be closing soon so make sure to cast your votes. Thank you for all the love and support! Also, my examinations are coming up so the next time I post will be mid-May, sorry. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace Out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


	24. Chapter 24

_**HeroesOfOlympus**_

 **Heyyy y'all! I feel like I've been apologising in practically every chapter but I really am deeply sorry for this horribly late update. It's no excuse but life is extremely rushed, hectic and to put it simply, crazy, right now. I am trying to get into this program and I managed to pass the test they gave and already went for my interview, however, I need to study hard and get almost perfect grades for my end of year examinations in order to get into the program. It really is such an incredible opportunity and it'll almost guarantee a good university for me, so I hope y'all understand that my studies is now my top priority.**

 **If y'all want to read more of my writing or get more regular updated posts, you can pop by my Tumblr OfficialHeroesOfOlympus. I post mostly MCU nonsense and writing there, hence why I've never shared it with y'all. My birthday was a day ago (20th August), so this update is sort of like a present to me and all of you, just to show how grateful I am for each and every single one of you beautiful people.**

 **Anyway, this chapter is a total of 4,428 words, which I hope is sufficient or satisfactory enough. Thank you for all the support, love and patience, and without further ado, here is Chapter 24 of Girl Meets Alone and Broken!**

* * *

The white house stood out amongst the others along the street, with its bright red roof and warm coloured intricate details swirling all over the white walls. A woman stood on the steps of a ladder perched dangerously against the wall of the entrance, swaying unsteadily with each movement she made. She stretched an arm out, desperately reaching forward to attach something to the ceiling, while several Chinese lanterns hung from her other arm.

Immediately, Riley rushed forward, abandoning the duffel bag that had initially hung from her shoulder and dashed across the pathway that was framed between the jade green lawn on both sides. Before she could reach the woman, Wade appeared at the doorway, his eyes widening in alarm as he took in the sight of the woman on the verge of toppling over.

Dropping something that looked like a bread shaped as a ball, he stretched his arms forward, curling his fingers around the base of the ladder and holding it still just as it was about to fall over. "Ma, we went through this before! Please stop trying to kill yourself while none of us are looking," Wade huffed, snatching away the lanterns from the woman when she descended from the ladder.

Rolling her eyes affectionately, the lady ruffled Wade's hair, her light laugh carrying across the garden to where Riley stood. It was like any other laugh but something was intertwined in the joyous sound, something heavy and painful that seemed to weigh the woman down.

"Riley, hey! Hope the ride here was okay," Wade noticed the brunette standing to one side, acknowledging her presence and shifting the attention of the lady fussing over him to her instead. Swatting away the woman's hand picking at his strands of dyed red hair, he exchanged a few words in Chinese with the adult and once again, Riley marvelled at how fast his mouth could move when he switched over to his Mother Tongue.

Beckoning Riley over with a grin on his face, he gestured towards the lady next to him, introducing, "Riley, this is my mother. Mum, this is Riley, Logan's you-know-who," Letting out a tiny shriek of delight, the woman launched herself at Riley, wrapping her arms around the younger girl and patting her back gently. Looking over in confusion at Wade for his use of words at the end of his sentence, Riley gave a frustrated sigh when the boy pretended not to notice her pointed stare.

Pulling away, Wade's mother seemed to have felt she was a bit too forward as a red glow crept up her neck and she gave a cough. "Sorry about that. My kids have told me a lot about you and I'm really grateful. You've really helped their little group since you came along, especially Logan," She beamed, reaching a hand to smooth down Riley's hair.

Suddenly, her hand stopped midway as she edged closer to Riley, squinting her eyes while she swept them up and down the brunette's face, oblivious to the teen fidgeting uneasily. "Do you happen to volunteer at The Good Dog Foundation?" Slowly, Riley carefully took in the mother's features, remembering her as the kind lady who she had always seen around whenever she went to volunteer. Seeing Riley's nod, the woman broke out into an even larger grin, finally pulling back her hand after seeing the uncomfortable look on the former's face.

While Riley had been taking in the adult's face, it was her distinguishable eyes that made her remember that she had seen her before. Her almond-shaped eyes were soft in such a way that made Riley feel safe like she was protected from the rest of the world as long as the mother was around. However, just like her laughter, there was a pain that lurked in the dark corners of her eyes, purposefully kept hidden from what Riley was sure was her children. The Brunette would have never noticed it if it wasn't for the fact she recognised the same look in her own eyes and Logan's.

"Anyway, they've helped me ever since I joined them. If anyone should be grateful, it should be me for having them by my side," Riley stated, her tone so genuine and the way she phrased her sentence that no one could argue against her. She looked over appreciatively to Wade and the boy smiled in response, his smile wavering when he recognised the look in her eyes.

Giving a cough, Riley moved her focus away from Wade and settled it onto his mother instead. "I'll go up and get settled then, ma'am-" The teenager was cut off mid-sentence as Wade's mother gave a disapproving shake of her head, accidentally loosening her hair from its bun. The adult's black hair reached her mid-back, a few short strands of grey growing from the roots of her hair, making her look confusingly youthful yet mature at the same time.

"Call me Auntie Lara, makes me feel less like some soldier..." She trailed off, the previous hurt hidden in the corner of her eyes blooming fully now as her voice gave a tiny crack, a wistful look passing across her face. She gave an uneasy smile to Riley, welcoming her one last time before walking into the house, her steps quick and heavy as the brunette heard her sniffle.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Riley looked over in the direction of where the mother had disappeared into the building, concerned. "Will she be okay?" The younger teen asked before quickly apologising, explaining that she had not meant to pry into other's business, knowing she could be overbearing at times. "She'll be fine, as fine as she can be nowadays," Wade sighed, sounding so worn out that Riley _really_ took a clear look at him.

She noticed extremely dark circles under his eyes, the unhealthy black crescents covered up rather well with a thick layer of makeup, which only worried her even more. His usually straight posture was more deflated, a small slouch that she hadn't seen on him before now present.

And his eyes.

They were so tired, the familiar spark of mischief and joy no longer there. She wondered if that was why the boy had been cooped up in his house for days, never leaving and making up rather weak excuses whenever anyone on the group chat had asked to meet up. He probably didn't want anyone to see the lack of light in his eyes, knowing that his friends would immediately know something was going on with him.

"Wade, are you alright?" She hesitantly inquired, treading carefully with her words. Suddenly, the boy brought his hands up to his face, covering his squeezed eyes that started to leak with tears. "No." He breathed, cupping his face in his hands as his body shivered ever so slightly, and Riley had a sinking feeling it was not from the cold. Immediately, Wade found himself in Riley's arms, the younger girl holding him against her as she kept one arm firmly on his back, while the other combed through his hair.

"I'm the only guy in the household, I constantly worry about my family and our business, all the while balancing my school life. My mother doesn't seem to care about herself or her health, my sisters deserve happiness and a good childhood, and my brother abandoned us," Wade shuddered against Riley, his muffled voice coming to a halt as he took in a sharp breath of the cold air. "All that and I still have to deal with..."

"Your feelings?" Riley encouraged softly and she felt the boy's breath hitch and he slowly moved away, stuffing his hands into his pants pocket. "You know? About my..." Wade trailed off, concentrating on his shoes whilst he rocked back and forth on his heels, refusing to meet Riley's eyes. The brunette cautiously reached her hand out, entwining her fingers with Wade's before cupping his trembling fingers with both her hands. "I see the way you look at guys sometimes, Wade. And it's _okay_ ,"

Suddenly, the older boy snatched his hand away, his deep brows set in the middle while he brought his hands up to his hair, tugging on the strands forcefully as his knuckles turned white. "No! It's not okay, Riley. It's not normal to... Feel that way towards boys when I myself am one and at the same time, also like girls. It's disgusting, _I'm_ disgusting. How can you even stand to be around me if you already could sense that beforehand?"

Sliding her hands up his arms, Riley settled them on Wade's biceps, giving them a small squeeze. "Hey," The way Riley said that single word, so gently and warming, caused Wade to gaze upwards, allowing the brunette to see the tears glistening in his eyes. "I used to think like that, about myself too. I still do but it's not as bad as it used to be. You wanna know why?"

Taking Wade's silence as affirmation, Riley continued, her voice a bit shakier than before but still steady and confident, "I had people around me that loved me and let me know there was nothing wrong about who I liked. And now, I'm letting _you_ know there's absolutely nothing disgusting about you, Wade. Just because you like boys and girls doesn't change everything we all love about you. You're still you, it's just that you're more confident about who you like now and you trust us, even more, to share this important part of you with us."

"We love you, Wade. All of us do. Judging by how all our friends, Logan, Kitty and Brandon, look at you with so much love, I doubt any of them are going to have a problem with you all of a sudden just because of your sexuality. And if they do, that's their loss because you're one of the best people I know,"

Nodding his head wordlessly, Wade brought one hand up over to his arm, covering Riley's fingers that were gripping onto his bicep. "Thank you, Riley." He whispered out, using one arm to bring the brunette towards him for a tight hug as he peered upwards at the sky, blinking back the remaining tears in his eyes. Treading lightly, he inquired meekly, "So, you're... Bi?" Riley responded with a light smile, shaking her head and answering, "I'm pan. I haven't said that out loud to anyone before, besides my Uncle Eric and Josh. I think Logan knows though,"

"Then, thank you for trusting me with this. Maybe when we're more confident about this, we could, maybe, tell the rest together?" Feeling Riley's nod, he heard her whisper a soft "yeah" in response. "Shall we go in, milady?" Wade joked once they pulled apart, his eyes already so much brighter than before, looking like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

Giggling, Riley nodded her head while she skipped towards the entrance of the house, swinging Wade's arm along with hers as the boy laughed happily, eyes twinkling while allowing the girl to drag him enthusiastically to the front door, heart bursting with gratitude at what the girl had said to him. "So, any particular person you have your eyes on?" Riley asked, giggling when she took in Wade's flushed cheeks and squealing as he chased her into the house, their laughter filling the air.

 **LINEBREAK/GIRL MEETS ALONE AND BROKEN**

Hearing Auntie Lara's voice calling everyone down for dinner, Riley rose up from Kitty's bed, where she had been lying down with her hair fanned out around her, talking to Kitty about everything and anything. Leaving Kitty's minimalistic-styled bedroom, Riley laughed at a particularly funny story the other girl was telling, walking down the stairs with a spring in her step, already smelling something delicious wafting through the air from the dining room.

Taking her seat next to Kitty, Riley resisted the urge to start eating once she saw the food laid out in front of her. There was a variety of Chinese food served, from pork dumplings to a type of yellowish brown noodles, and even delicacies she had never seen in her life. "Jade? Jane? Come down here, right now!" Auntie Lara barked, looking over to Riley apologetically before turning back to face the staircase with a stern look plastered on.

Suddenly, two identical girls climbed out from underneath the table, stifling their giggles by clasping their hands over their mouths. "What'd you say, Mummy?" They chorused, watching with gleeful looks on their faces as Auntie Lara gave a jolt, her head moving to look behind so quickly that Riley was certain she would have a whiplash. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother putting up with the two of you," Auntie Lara chastised and if it wasn't for the small smile on her face, Riley would've thought she was angry. "Greet our guest, you two,"

Turning to face Riley, bright grins spread across the girls' faces, waving enthusiastically as they giggled, "Hello, 'our guest'!" Noticing the eyeroll their mother gave them, the two broke out into another fit of laughter, the contagious sound forcing Riley's smile to widen. "Hi, Jade and Jane! I've heard a lot about you. My name's Riley. I liked the prank you pulled," Riley chirped, giving them a wink as a bright grin overtook her features, widening when the confident twins started to blush, squirming in their seats with delight at the compliment.

Suddenly, one of the twins eyes enlargened, gasping whilst looking bewilderedly between Kitty and Riley. "Riley, as in the Riley Logie keeps talking about?" Looking over to her older sister in confirmation, the twins gave a shrill squeal when Kitty nodded her head, a bemused smile on her face. "Logie's right, she _does_ look beautiful, kinda like a flower princess," The other twin whispered loudly, looking over at Riley starry-eyed and in a daze.

Turning to give Kitty a confused eyebrow raise, the girl gave a shake of her head, explaining, "Logan likes to come over, he hangs out with the twins _a lot_ and they're quite taken with calling him 'Logie'. He tends to talk about you _a lot_ too," Feeling the sudden heat on her face, Riley gave a cough and looked away from Kitty, feeling the suggestive smirk the other girl was sending her way.

Once Wade sat down at the table, everyone began to eat, a chorus of thanks being sent to Auntie Lara for cooking all the dishes. The twins sent question after question towards Riley, telling the brunette their pranks and more about them, no longer shy from Riley's previous compliment. In return, Riley listened intently, adding in her own inputs and opinions on their stories, genuinely interested in what the twins were saying while trying not to squeal at how adorable the sight of the two identical girls was.

Overall, it was the most pleasantly delightful dinner she had in years. She was surrounded by good, enjoyable company that actually paid attention to her and it didn't hurt that the food was downright scrumptious, filling her stomach with warmth and comfort and all the other emotions that came with feeling at home. Once everyone finished their meals and Riley offered to wash the dishes, which resulted in a very motherly stern look being shot her way from Auntie Lara who insisted she go up and have fun with Kitty, the brunette climbed up the stairs to return to the other girl's bedroom.

"How did the dinner with your parents go?" Kitty asked politely whilst flopping onto her bed, crumpling the fabrics she had laid out previously to measure. There was a tone of contempt detected in her voice when she said Riley's "parents" and Riley was overcome with gratitude at the loyal friends she had who had never met her parents in their entire lives but was so protective of Riley against them. Lying down next to her, Riley rested her linked hands over her chest, staring at the ceiling while contemplating her response.

"It was... Okay. Farkle and I agreed to mend our friendship and my mother surprisingly apologised to me, and she seemed sincere about fixing our relationship," Riley gave a half-hearted shrug, a tiny smile tugging at her lips when she thought of her mother's genuine attempts to fix her bond with her daughter. The lawyer had been consistently texting Riley without being overbearing, at least once every three days the teenager would receive a message from her mother. Topanga had respected Riley's decision to continue living with Uncle Josh and had even offered to buy an extra mattress so the college student didn't have to keep sleeping on chairs and the floor.

Riley had even been over to the house a few times, just filling in her mother about all the new things and people she had in her life. She talked about Kitty, her creative, insanely welcoming friend, and Brandon, how moody but secretly caring he was, especially when the boy had come to her for help on how to ask Kitty to the Winter Formal. She talked about Wade, who made her laugh genuinely after her age of loneliness and heartbreak and had adopted her as a younger sister in a sort of strange, unique, crazy way, which were also three words to describe the boy. She talked about Uncle Josh, so quick to jump to her side and defend her while at the same time, offering her non-biased or prejudiced advice.

And she talked about Logan, _a lot_.

Judging by the knowing smile that always stretched across her mother's face whenever she talked about Logan, the lawyer knew of Riley's feelings towards Logan. Although she felt embarrassed at times for the way Topanga would grin at her with a glint in her eyes, it also filled the teenager with such plain joy and warmth that her mother finally was resuming to her old ways of knowing what Riley was thinking without even needing her daughter to say it out loud. It was simply heartwarming and reassuring that her mother's efforts to fix their relationship was real and not something she had dreamt up.

After Riley spilt all this to Kitty, she moved on to talk about the outing her mother had planned for the entire family but faltered when she said the word "family". "What's wrong, Smiley Riley?" Kitty asked softly, the affectionate clear in her voice as she bumped her shoulder against Riley's. "My dad... He didn't go for the outing and he also didn't speak to me during the Christmas Party, except when he gave me a letter," Riley fiddled with her thumbs, thankful that the two of them were lying down so that Kitty couldn't see her tears.

"It's just, between him and my mother, I thought he would be the first one to talk to me or comfort me since he never really showed me any animosity during my encounters with him and my mother. I thought between my parents, he would be the one to stand by me because my mother and Maya are so alike. But..." The brunette shut her eyes, swallowing back the lump forming in her throat, croaking out the final words of her sentence.

Feeling the comforting feeling of Kitty lacing her fingers through her's, Riley choked back her sobs, furiously blinking back her tears, so sick of always crying about others who took her for granted. "Have you opened the letter?" Kitty inquired in a gentle tone, her quiet voice washing over Riley like waves lapping mildly onto the shore. Taking Riley's absence of an answer as a no, Kitty kept silent, simply calming Riley with her presence and the warmth from her hand.

And when the two changed into their pyjamas and got into bed and Kitty drifted off into sleep, her soft snores filling the room, Riley slowly slipped out from under the covers, careful not to wake the other teenager. She treaded towards her bag, pulled out the book all the way at the bottom and opened it, finding her father's letter slotted into the groove between two pages. Picking it our gingerly with trembling fingers, she moved towards the bathroom connected to Kitty's room and locked the door behind her, her back sliding against the smooth door as she ended up sitting with her legs pulled to her chest.

Breathing shakily in trepidation, she shakily peeled open the envelope and took out the letter inside it, staring at it in silence for a few moments, scared of the words written across the paper in her father's familiar messy scrawl that she had chastised with a laugh on more than one occasion. Finally, she unfolded the letter, almost dropping it at how much her hands were trembling and slowly read the words on the page.

 _Dear Riley,_

 _Firstly, before I explain myself, I want to say sorry. I'm sorry for paying more attention to Maya's problems than yours, I'm sorry for encouraging Maya more than you, I'm sorry for focusing more on Maya than you, I'm sorry for making you think I love Maya more than_ you, _my own daughter._

 _I was so caught up in trying to be the missing father figure in Maya's life that I didn't realise I was forgetting to be the actual father figure in my own daughter's life. I'm not pushing the blame to Maya because it is my own fault for choosing to pay her more attention, not hers. Instead of always trying to solve your group's, more importantly, your problems by publicising it to the entire class, I should have consulted you alone._

 _I should have never embarrassed you in front of your class multiple times, which now I realise, only worsened your insecurities. I should have never let you face your bully alone and trusted your friends to fully solve the matter that I never brought it up with you or asked how you felt about all of it. I should have never stepped aside during the Triangle and I should have asked you if you were okay. I should have and shouldn't have done so many things but most importantly, I should never have made you feel like you weren't loved._

 _I love you, Riley, ever since I saw you on the day you were born with your bright squinting eyes and brown locks. I knew there and then you would be the light on my life from that moment on, along with your mother and Auggie. I have seen you change from a naive, dreamy, happy girl to a depressed, broken teenager, which broke my heart because I knew I contributed to that and didn't do a thing to help it. And now, I see you all strong and confident and intelligent. But through it all, the ups and the downs, you have always been kind, selfless and helpful, so full of brightness to share with everyone._

 _And through every single stage in your life, while it may not have seemed so at certain points, I have loved you. Remember when you wondered what your talent was, Riley? I should have told you there and then that your talent is being you. Your unique, sweet, caring self and that kind of kindness that you have is not so easy to find in such a dark world as ours. You have so much light in you and yet, you're willing to spread it and share it with others by touching the lives of every single person you have met. You lend your light to everybody, without any care that by doing so, you have less and less light for yourself, because that's the kind of person you are, selflessly trying to make everyone around you happy at the risk of your own happiness._

 _That was the exact same thing that has been going for years and I didn't do a thing to stop it or step in. I stood by, watched you lose your spark as you gave it to everyone, to your friends and family especially. I even took some of it and yet, I took you for granted. We all took you for granted, specifically me, when I, your father, should have known better and treated you better._

 _Another thing I should have done was stood up for you when you were confronted by your mother and your friends. When we went to Topanga's that day and recently, when you retaliated against your mother during dinner, I sat by on both occasions, staying completely silent when what I rightfully should have been doing was to defend you. I knew you were hurting even before the meeting at Topanga's and I knew you were right but I just felt ashamed._

 _A father is meant to protect their child, take care of them and make sure they're alright. Knowing that instead, I had harmed you instead of protecting you made me ashamed of myself and my actions. I didn't know if it was no longer my right to step in and defend you because I failed as a father but now, reflecting on my actions of just keeping quiet and not helping, I failed as a person as well._

 _I'm proud of the girl you were, am and will be. These past two years have been horrible for you but you've still remained the kind, bright you that you have always been. You've grown stronger and more independent through these trying times and maybe I don't have the right to say this anymore but I'm proud of you, Riley, every single day. I would ask you for your forgiveness, however, we both know I don't deserve it. All that I ask from you is to continue to be yourself, no matter who or what you face._

 _Love,_

 _Daddy_

* * *

 **Guest**

Updated! Sorry for the long wait and I'm glad you love this story! :) Thank you for being so patient and the support.

Guest AB

Please update please update when will Shawn come in and when will Rogan become a couple? When Riley use her boxing skills?

 **Guest**

Thank you! :) I'm glad you're enjoying this story and I apologise for this extremely delayed update. Thank you for your patience.

 **Guest**

Thank you, glad you like this story! :) Absolutely, Lucas and Maya apologising to Riley has been one of my confirmed plots for a chapter since the beginning. I think that should be coming up in the next chapter or the one after that. Basically, it should be coming up soon.

 **Guest**

AHHH Thank you! This is so nice :D

 **Raabe**

Thank you so much! I definitely will continue this story but updates will be rather slow, sorry.

 **Sanchezashley**

I will definitely be mentioning how the others have been affected with Riley's absence but only in exchanged dialogues. I might write from maybe Lucas or Maya's point of view to switch things up and to show how they've handled missing Riley. Logan's words to Maya involve his past but if you really do want to know and can't wait for later chapters, just send in another review asking for it and I'll share it with you!

 **Angiee**

Thank you so much! :D This is honestly so sweet, I can't believe you've read it once, let alone twice. And that G-Eazy and Halsey vibes comment is so heartwarming, I loved Halsey SHEESH thank you for this!

 **Grace**

Thank you! This is so nice AH thank you :)

 **tinkermist99**

Thank you! I'm glad you find it cute. Writing Riley rejecting Logan was kind of unexpected but I'm happy with the outcome of it.

 **Aaaaand... CUT! That's a wrap for this chapter. Please favourite, follow, review and check up the** new poll on my page for whether Riley should forgive Shawn. **My exams are coming up soon again but in the meantime, you can check out my Tumblr (same username) for MCU nonsense and other stuff. See y'all in the next chapter!**

 **Peace out,**

 _ **HeroesOfOlympus**_


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